BY Emma Arubi
WARRI— THE expected 12,000bpd oil production from the Oil Mining Lease, OML 56, in Kwale, Delta State, is now under threat from Obodougwa-Ogume community, following alleged moves by  Energia Limited to engage another drilling contractor to drill Well 4 in the location.

The community has also raised objection to the unilateral re-naming of the oil field to “Emu-Ebendo Oil Well”, noting that no documentation, either in the past or present, supported this new nomenclature.

Energia Limited bought the French oil giant’s (Total E & P Nigeria) abandoned oil production field in 1978 and had been able to produce 1,800 barrels of oil per day.

Managing Director of the company, Mr. A. V. Felix, however, revealed that Energia Limited, a marginal field operator, was planning to raise oil production output to 12,000bpd by 2012, adding that KCA Deutag, operators of the drilling rig, was expected to move to site next month.

The company, which has so far spent over $70 million in oil and gas facilities, is heading for trouble with its main host communities over its alleged negotiation with KCA Deutag in flagrant breach of extant negotiations and agreement with the consortium of Sam Pirah International Limited and Crosco-Delemas Amira Drilling Nigeria Limited.

The community leaders, comprising Prince F.C. Ifuwe, CDC Chairman, Chief Fred N. Odibi, General Secretary and others, however, maintained that Sam Pirah International Limited remained their indigenous drilling contractor for the Obodougwa Well 4 project intended to raise oil production output from a mere 1,800bpd to 12,000bpd by 2012.

Stating that the new name being given to the marginal field and the negotiation with KCA Deutag for the drilling of the said Well 4 and any other arrangement were unacceptable to them, as their concern remained with Sam Pirah International, the community leaders warned that this continuous use of wrong description and contractor would certainly lead to unnecessary and avoidable crises.