Indigenous oil exploration and production company, Conoil Producing Limited, has had a crude oil production flow station at Ango field in Koluama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State shut down by the host community.
This follows the protest by aggrieved members of the community over the oil firm’s insensitivity to its social obligations towards the people.
According to a report from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the protesting members of the community had besieged the facility and told the oil workers to shut the facility and leave the site of the 30,000 barrels per day capacity flow station.
The oil workers at the onshore facility connecting oil wells within the swamps and creeks at Koluama were escorted out of the area by speedboats by armed security men.
Although officials of Conoil have yet to react to the incident, the Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, Mrs Christiana Abiakam-Omanu, confirmed the development.
She said that members of Conoil’s host communities were at the oilfield to protest, but that only the operator of the field (Conoil) could confirm if it was shut or not.
