By Abiodun Folarin
WorldStage— The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has identified three oil and gas wells as very high risk following the screening of 28 wells around reported gas seepage locations in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The Commission also classified 10 wells as high risk and 15 as medium to low risk as investigations intensify to establish the source of the gas seepage.
The findings were disclosed on Thursday during a special technical presentation at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), hosted by the NUPRC.
The paper, titled “Unravelling Gas Seepage and Bubbling in Nigeria: The Integrated Study Approach Towards Source Attribution,” examined the Commission’s ongoing efforts to determine the origin and possible risks associated with the phenomenon.
Presenting the findings, the NUPRC Director of Subsurface Development, Joseph Ogunsola, represented by the Senior Manager, Onshore Frontier Development Drilling, Azibamikiomam John-Adumo, described gas seepage as a new phenomenon in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, prompting the Commission to establish a technical investigation team.
He disclosed that studies in one of the affected areas had identified a well originally drilled in search of oil but subsequently shut down after gas, rather than oil, was discovered.
According to him, the well is approximately 2.5 kilometres from the seepage location, while other nearby wells are between 2.5 and three kilometres away.
He said investigations were ongoing to establish whether the seepage originated from the identified well or other nearby facilities, noting that the area was highly explored and hydrocarbon-charged.
Providing details of the well-screening exercise, Ogunsola said the 28 wells were assessed based on their proximity to the seepage locations and the reservoirs encountered during drilling.
The investigation team physically visited 14 wells but could not access three others because they were submerged. During the inspections, officials observed gas hissing from some wells, while other facilities showed signs of corrosion and vandalism.
Ogunsola said the investigation had progressed from the first reported bubbling incident to an independent gas fingerprinting exercise within 12 months.
He recalled that the first seepage was observed in October 2025, adding that results of the independent investigation using Gas Chromatography-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-IRMS) and compositional field analysis were expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
On support for affected communities, he said the Commission and operators had mobilised relief materials, including food supplies, medical outreach, efforts to provide potable water, fire vans and safety kits.
However, he warned that if investigations establish that the seepage is caused by natural geological processes, residents might need to be evacuated because tracing the migration pathways and designing appropriate subsurface interventions could be more challenging.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to a coordinated and integrated investigation to establish the source of the seepage and determine appropriate measures to protect affected communities.
