Oil well blowout in Niger still not under control — Mongabay

Crude oil and gas have been erupting from the Goumeri W8 well in southern Niger since September 25. The incident damaged nearby facilities, and the situation has still not been fully brought under control, Mongabay reports.

Platform damage

Abdulkarim Mohamed Ali, secretary-general of Niger’s Ministry of Petroleum, described the event as an environmental incident of exceptional severity in a statement released on October 12. According to him, significant volumes of oil and gas were being ejected to a height of more than 10 meters.

The platform shared by Goumeri W8 with the Goumeri W3 and Goumeri W4 wells sustained significant damage. This also compromised the integrity of two neighboring installations. Preliminary findings ruled out a criminal or terrorist nature of the incident, but its cause has not yet been established.

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Environmental consequences

On October 14, a group involving Niger’s ministers of petroleum and environment traveled to the site. It met with engineers working to address the consequences of the incident, as well as a team of specialists sent by the Algerian government to provide assistance.

The Goumeri W8, W3 and W4 wells are part of the Agadem oil block near the borders with Chad and Nigeria. It is mainly operated by CNPC Niger Petroleum SA, a local subsidiary of China’s state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation.

The desert region contains important habitats for three threatened species of Saharan desert antelope: the Egyptian dorcas gazelle, the slender-horned gazelle and the addax. The exact environmental impact of the incident has not yet been determined, but a significant oil release could have negative consequences for local biodiversity. An investigation has been opened to establish the exact causes of the incident and responsibility for it.