WARRI — Chevron Nigeria limited, CNL, has described as untrue,  the allegations that an oil spill from its Warri dock polluted fish ponds at Ugborekoko area and Clusters 1 to 4 in Ekpan, Delta State.

Expressing surprise at the allegation, Mr. Femi Odumabo, General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, explained that there was a leakage of diesel and lubrication oil estimated at about eight litres,  from a contractor’s tug boat, which sank at Chevron Dock waterfront in Warri on  July 22,  2010.

According to him, “a Joint Inspection Visit, JIV, was carried out with the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR; National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA and the Delta State Ministry of Environment. The oil was contained within Chevron facility and cleaned up immediately. It was, therefore, not possible for eight litres of oil spill, which has been cleaned up to impact fish ponds about 10 miles from the Chevron yard.

“We carried out a JIV with DPR, NOSDRA and Delta State Ministry of Environment officials and representatives of the community within the immediate vicinity. The findings of the JIV were documented on forms provided by the government agencies and signed by parties. The outcome report was that the volume was eight  litres with little or no impact.

“Moreover, the spill was confined to our property and cleaned up immediately. In addition, pictures of the event and helicopter surveillance records were taken within hours of the event which also support these findings,” he said.

Odumabo, however, expressed the company’s willingness to work with the government regulatory bodies to determine the source of the spill polluting the fish pond.

“The spill which is being claimed to have killed thousands of fishes could not have been the two gallons spill from the Chevron yard.”

He reiterated the company’s aversion to environmental pollution, noting the company’s preparedness to battle oil spills while also complying with the laws of the land.