By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
ABUJA — The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has raised alarm over the continued discharge of crude oil and associated pollutants from a blown-out oil well in Uzere Kingdom, Delta State, more than five weeks after the incident occurred.
According to a field assessment report released by the environmental advocacy organisation, the blowout occurred on June 26, 2026, at Well 14 in OML 30, operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, and remains uncontrolled despite repeated calls for urgent intervention.
The report, compiled after a field visit to the community on July 25, warned that the approaching flood season could worsen the environmental impact by spreading oil contamination across farmlands, fishing grounds, wetlands and water bodies within and beyond the affected area.
Uzere Kingdom, located in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, is one of Nigeria’s oldest oil-producing communities. The area hosts the Uzere East and Uzere West oil fields, with more than 43 producing wells said to generate about 53,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
HOMEF stated that community leaders who visited the site shortly after the incident were informed by company engineers that the blowout resulted from equipment failure caused by excessive pressure.
The organisation noted that despite efforts reportedly made by the operator, the damaged wellhead, known in the industry as the “Christmas Tree,” collapsed and continued releasing crude oil, gas and other petroleum substances into the environment.
The affected facility is situated close to farmlands, fish ponds and a gas flare stack, raising fears of widespread ecological and economic damage.
Chairman of the Uzere Oil and Gas Committee, Mr. Sylvanus Evroro, said the community had demanded immediate containment of the incident but expressed disappointment that the situation had persisted for over a month.
He recalled that a smaller spill had occurred in the same oil field about a decade ago but was successfully contained.
According to the report, community members also expressed concern that the kingdom was still recovering from the devastating floods of 2012 and 2022, which destroyed livelihoods and caused significant environmental losses.
Residents alleged that Heritage Energy informed the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) of the incident nearly two weeks after the blowout occurred.
They further claimed that officials of the agency who visited the site attributed the incident to poor maintenance of the operator’s equipment, although HOMEF said no official Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) report was made available during its assessment.
HOMEF disclosed that its delegation, accompanied by community leaders, was denied access to the affected site by security personnel who insisted that approval must first be obtained from Heritage Energy’s office in Warri.
As a result, the organisation said its findings were based on photographs, video recordings and eyewitness testimonies provided by community members.
Speaking on the potential consequences of the incident, Evroro warned that the onset of seasonal flooding could spread the pollution across a wider area.
“August is approaching, and without intervention from the authorities responsible for salvaging the well blowout, the coming flood will worsen the situation by spreading the spill across the community and beyond,” he said.
He added that farming and fishing, the primary sources of livelihood in the area, could suffer devastating losses if the blowout is not immediately contained.
“About 90 per cent of our people are farmers and fishers. If this blowout is not contained immediately, our farms, fish ponds, lakes and swamps will be seriously affected, with grave consequences for livelihoods and food production,” he stated.
The community is demanding the immediate containment of the blowout, a transparent investigation into the cause of the incident, full environmental remediation and adequate compensation for affected residents.
In its observations, HOMEF noted that evidence gathered from testimonies and visual materials pointed to significant environmental, economic and public health risks.
The organisation expressed concern over the proximity of the damaged wellhead to agricultural land, fish ponds and gas infrastructure, warning that contamination could spread rapidly once flooding begins.
HOMEF also questioned the effectiveness of emergency response efforts and regulatory oversight, describing the prolonged delay in containing the blowout as troubling.
Among its recommendations, the group called on Heritage Energy to immediately halt the discharge using internationally accepted emergency response measures and commence comprehensive cleanup and remediation of impacted areas.
It also urged the company to replace worn-out oil infrastructure and decommission obsolete facilities to prevent future incidents.
The environmental group further called on NOSDRA to conduct and publicly release the findings of a transparent Joint Investigation Visit, while urging the Delta State Ministry of Environment and other agencies to undertake independent environmental, ecological and public health assessments.
HOMEF also urged the Federal Government and Delta State Government to ensure that affected residents receive fair compensation, livelihood restoration support and long-term environmental monitoring until the ecosystem is fully restored.
As of the time of the report, neither Heritage Energy nor NOSDRA had publicly responded to the concerns raised by the community and the environmental rights organisation.
