ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OIL EXPLORATION - TopicsExpress



          

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF OIL EXPLORATION IN ISOKOLAND/NATION : FEDERAL GOVT, STATE GOVERNMENT AND OIL/GAS COMPANIES EXPLORING IN ISOKO LAND, SHOULD ENSURE INDUSTRIAL/TECHNICAL/INFRASTRUCTURAL/ECONOMIC/EDUCATIONAL/SOCIO-POLITICAL-CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF ISOKO NATION. It is pertinent to mention that, any effort at opening a new vista of qualitative debates, focused on the several socio-economic and political problems and prospects in the Niger Delta region as a whole. No attempt is made to focus such debate on Isokoland with the objective of highlighting the great potential of Isokoland and the urgent developmental needs of this vital geopolitical ethnic nationality. Isoko joined the league of oil producers in Nigeria when oil was discovered in Uzere in 1957. Uzere community was the second region in Nigeria to discover oil and gas after Oloibiri in 1956. Since then oil has been found in the following towns viz: Irri, Olomoro, Oleh, Igbide, Owhe, Ozoro, Ellu, Emevor etc. Apart from Irri where Agip is the major producing company, all other towns in Isoko have Shell Petroleum and Development Company as the sole company. Isoko contributes about 16% of the total oil out put in Nigeria. Uzere has 39 oil wells in its two fields of Uzere East and Uzere West with a peak production capacity of 56,000 barrels of oil per day. There are about 36 oil wells in Olomoro community. In recent time, another 4 Oil wells has been discovered in Uruabe Location A In The great OLOMORO KINGDOM, Hence, now the total oil well in Olomoro is amount to 40, which the Kingdom is expecting ANOTHER OIL FLOW STATION AT URUABE OLOMORO LOCATION A OLOMORO KINGDOM.. Isoko South Local Government with Uzere, Olomoro, Igbide, Oleh and Irri oil producing towns has above 100 oil wells. Isoko North Local Government Area is an oil producing area with preponderance of oil mineral exploration and exploitation activities year in year out. There are about 40 oil wells in the Local Government Area belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) with a production level estimated at over 29,000 b.p.d (i.e Owhe Field or Flow station producing about 11,000 b.p.d and Ogini Flow station, including Isoko Deep about 18,000 b.p.d). There are other oil facilities in the LGA belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company and some indigenous companies. Today, Isokoland has about 20 flow stations and an estimated average daily production of about 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Isokoland is a constituent part of the largest delta in Africa and home of Nigeria’s oil industry, which contains an abundant supply of natural resources, inclusive of one of the finest oil in the world.The Nigeria nation-state is reputed to have earned $20trillion from oil production in the Niger Delta, since 1958. Of this amount, it is estimated that Isokoland contributed above $1trillion. In spite of this, Isokoland like the rest of Niger Delta area continues to be in an under-developed state, with the average village ‘family’ living on less than the equivalent of U$ 300 per year. Alongside the immense potential for agricultural revolution, Isokoland also has vast reserves of non-renewable natural resources including clay pits for burnt bricks making for the construction industry, and silica sand for the glass manufacturing industry which have however, remained largely untapped. Part of a World Bank report following a visit to the Niger Delta in 1952 and 1953, which included Isokoland, declared that the region has great prospects to feed the entire population of the West Africa sub-region and have sufficient commodities for export. Some of the produce highlighted by the report includes palm oil and cassava, which are in abundance throughout Isokoland. Yet, Isokoland remains pervasively poor and underdeveloped, lacking virtually all forms of social amenities and infrastructure, including electricity, potable water, medical facilities, roads, shelter, etc. The area suffers a regrettable legacy of hunger, high and rising rates of unemployment, communal conflict, youth restiveness and all forms of social insecurity; of course, a fate which befalls all of the Niger Delta. IMPACT OF OIL EXPLORATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT Oil ‘exploration and exploitation’ has over the last four decades had a disastrous impact on the physical environment of the oil-bearing communities in Isokoland, massively threatening the subsistence peasant economy, the environment and hence the entire livelihood and basic survival of the people. Suffice it to note that, while oil extraction has caused negative socio-economic and environmental problems in Isokoland, the Nigerian State has benefited immensely from petroleum since it was discovered in commercial quantities in 1956. some of the environmental problems associated with oil exploration and production in Isokoland could be summarised as: Contamination of streams and rivers - In the course of oil exploration and production in Isokoland, various materials are released into the environment. For example during exploration, drill cuttings, drill mud and fluids are used for stimulating production. The problem of oil spill - Transportation and marketing, damage to oil pipelines and accidents involving road trucks and tankers generate oil spills and hydrocarbon emissions which have a far more reaching effect, because the toxic nature of the oil adversely affects the soil, plant, animal and water resources. Forest destruction and bio-diversity loss - The major constituents of drill cuttings such as barites and bentonite clays when dumped on the ground prevent plant growth until natural processes develop new topsoil. In water, these materials disperse and sink, killing marine life. THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF GAS FLARING IN ISOKOLAND. As a by-product of oil production, Nigeria flares more gas than any other country in the world. Gas flaring in Uzere and Olomoro flow stations has recorded its environmental impact on the natives and surrounding communities. It is worth putting on record that the havoc done by gas flaring to Isoko communities and its environs is unprintable. We have suffered the destruction of our vegetation, including vital medical plants, destruction of wildlife and destruction of farm crops. Air pollution and acid rain from oil exploitation activities have inflicted on our people respiratory diseases, leading to loss of lives. The problem with Isoko communities is that the multinational oil companies have totally abandoned plights of the people and resort to using security agencies to confront the host oil communities yet there is no indication of government presence in the region. How many Isoko people are really benefitting from these oil companies? Today, Bayelsa State has been transformed from begging region to much sought after region because of their doggedness in fighting government unholy policies. It is sad that Isoko region is nothing to write home about in terms of infrastructural development and others. Isoko topography is waterlogged and the poverty rate is very high while the people are subsistence farmers. The Federal Government has failed to provide amnesty to Isoko people in recent times. Even the so-called amnesty provided to the Ijaw nation is now political to the extent that women are given amnesty too. Both the State and federal governments must be blamed for the lack of infrastructures and development in Isoko Land. Jobs are not created while billions of naira is taken out of the region without compensation. Isoko nation is one of backward regions in Nigeria. I hereby recommend that the Federal and State Governments should apply the political will to develop the neglected Isoko nation and the oil and gas companies should embark upon small and medium scale industries in IsokoLand. In case of oil spillage, compensation should be paid to the host communities and the best industry technology should be employed to effect remedy without delay. REF :- Matthew A. Efole
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 09:25:58 +0000

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