The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has screened 28 oil and gas wells around reported gas seepage locations in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, identifying three as very high risk, 10 as high risk and 15 as medium to low risk.
The Commission disclosed this during a special technical paper presentation titled, “Unravelling Gas Seepage and Bubbling in Nigeria: The Integrated Study Approach Towards Source Attribution,” at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE).
The technical session was hosted by the NUPRC as part of ongoing efforts to determine the source of the reported gas seepage and bubbling in the community.
Presenting the paper, the Director, Subsurface Development, NUPRC, Engr. Joseph Ogunsola, FNSE, described gas seepage as a new phenomenon in Nigeria’s petroleum terrain, explaining that the Commission had constituted a technical team to investigate the cause and identify what lies beneath the bubbles.
Ogunsola, who was represented by the Senior Manager, Onshore Frontier Development Drilling, Mr Azibamikiomam John-Adumo, a geologist, said studies conducted in one of the affected areas had provided insights into the structural threat.
He disclosed that one of the wells identified during the investigation was originally drilled in search of oil but was shut down after gas, rather than oil, was discovered.
According to him, the well is located approximately 2.5 kilometres from the reported seepage location.
He, however, said investigations were still ongoing to establish whether the gas seepage originated from the particular well or other nearby wells.
The screening of the 28 wells forms part of the Commission’s integrated investigation aimed at determining the source of the seepage and assessing potential risks to the affected community and surrounding environment.
The NUPRC is expected to continue its technical assessment as efforts intensify to establish the origin of the gas emissions.
