The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has screened 28 oil and gas wells around the reported gas seepage locations in Nigeria, identifying three as very high risk, 10 as high risk and 15 as medium to low risk as investigations continue to establish the source of the seepage in Bille Community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The update was made during a special technical paper on Thursday at the 44th Annual International Conference and Exhibition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), titled “Unravelling Gas Seepage and Bubbling in Nigeria: The Integrated Study Approach Towards Source Attribution,” hosted by the NUPRC

In his presentation, the Director, Subsurface Development, NUPRC, Engr. Joseph Ogunsola, FNSE, said gas seepage was a new phenomenon in the Nigerian petroleum terrain, prompting the Commission to constitute a team to investigate what lies beneath the bubbles.

Ogunsola, who was represented by the Senior Manager, Onshore Frontier Development Drilling, Mr. Azibamikiomam John-Adumo (geologist), disclosed that studies conducted in one of the affected areas had helped unravel the structural threat.

He explained that one of the wells was originally drilled in search of oil but was shut down following the discovery of gas instead.

He said the well is approximately 2.5 kilometres from the seepage location, adding that investigations are ongoing to establish whether the seepage originates from that particular well or other nearby wells.