Lagos - The Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell on Wednesday said it has extinguished a fire that raged for around three months at a wellhead located in the ethnic Ogoni community in Nigeria's southern Rivers State.
The Yorla-13 wellhead fire was reported last on August 14 in Kpean, in the Khana local government area, the company said in a statement, a copy of which was sent to AFP on Wednesday.
"The intensity and nature of the blaze impeded initial attempts at putting it out and a range of options was then considered, including disabling the well and inviting international well fire specialists Boots and Coots from the United States," the statement said.
Following the arrival of the experts on August 25, a detailed technical plan was drawn up involving removing the wellhead, which is known as a "Christmas tree" because of its design, and controlling the gas flow from the well.
"We have immediately begun well securing activities, following which environmental restoration of the site will be carried out," said the text, made available a day after the fire was finally extinguished.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but preliminary observations suggested tampering by unknown persons, Shell said.
Shell withdrew from Ogoniland in 1993 and has not operated there since then, but the company said there had since been several incidents of unknown persons tampering with and removing some of its facilities, including flow-lines and flow-station equipment.
Residents in Ogoni communities accused foreign oil companies, especially Shell, of destroying their eco-system without paying adequate compensation.
Ogoni environmental activist and writer, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight of his companion activists, were executed in November 1995 after they were convicted of killing four Ogoni chieftains, who allegedly failed to support their campaign.
The execution of Saro-Wiwa triggered a flurry of international condemnations, including the suspension of Nigeria from the Commonwealth. - Sapa-AFP