The Akaso 4 Wellhead, operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) 18 Operating Limited is currently in flames, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

NUPRC stated that the incident occurred on August 2 at approximately 11:12 pm and has since spread to the nearby riverbank.

It revealed that the cause of the fire remains unknown, but a joint investigation involving relevant parties has been initiated to determine its origin and impact.

NUPRC’s Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, Laide Shonola, stated that the Company has deployed a naval houseboat to monitor the situation and established community surveillance.

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Shonola explained that the joint investigation with stakeholders is planned to assess the cause and extent of the incident, adding that the Akaso Well 4 has been inactive for some period.

Also, the Commission mentioned that another fire at the company’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on February 23, 2024, is still ongoing.

According to NUPRC’s Head of Public Affairs, the contractor, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing challenges in extinguishing the fire and plans to switch from heat extraction to total oxygen extraction methods.

She disclosed that the equipment fabrication is complete, and the contractor awaits mobilization from the well owners.

Furthermore, she revealed that a meeting with NNPC 18 Operating Limited’s management is scheduled to review the safety and integrity of their operations, and updates on the incident will be provided.