Nigeria Clamps Down on Exxon Mobil

Posted by Staff Writer on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 8:05pm.

On the heals of the most disastrous oil spill in history off the shores of the American Gulf Coast, Nigerian Officials met with Executives from American Oil Giant, Exxon Mobil on Tuesday and put them on notice.

The officials are unhappy with the company’s attempt to clean up a recent spill of about 300 barrels of crude from an offshore platform in Southeast Akwa Ibom State. Exxon Mobil which denies the claims is being threatened with Sanctions.

Idris Musa, head of Nigeria’s oil spill response agency, said the meeting was to “call the attention of ExxonMobil, for the last time, to the need to put a stop to the incessant oil spills that we have been having within its operation area”.

“From December to date, we have had three that we can say are of concern… Some of the spills are not large but the frequency is becoming a source of concern and worry to the agency,” Musa added.

“It is the clean-up process that we are not really satisfied with and that is why we are drawing their attention to the fact that subsequently if that kind of situation occurs, they will not escape sanctions.”

“ExxonMobil needs to show more caution in terms of the management of oil spills,” Environment Minister John Odey told reporters after the meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Musa told the media that his agency had since 2006 recorded about 2,405 oil spills involving all the oil companies operating in Nigeria.

“We are concerned about the operation of ExxonMobil because once it is offshore, any spillage will, of course, affect the shorelines and it could go far beyond the area of operation,” said the minister.

ExxonMobil Safety and Environment Manager, John Etuk, admitted that although there was a spill in May, it was promptly reported to the relevant agencies.

Etuk disputed the official charge that the oil group did not carry out the clean up to specification.

“We cleaned up the environment to the agreed portion but along the line two agencies out of the four wanted it to go up the Calabar River,” Etuk said.

“ExxonMobil takes very seriously the issue of environment in its operation and would also live up to its responsibilities on the issue”, he said.

ExxonMobil has the largest stake in Nigerian Oil Fields.