Residents of Awoye, a community in the South West coastal region of Nigeria, which is home to the Ororo-1 oilfield in Ondo State, are crying for help from the authorities as the fire ignited by a spill from the oilfield has degraded the environment, threatening their livelihoods.
Once a scenic beauty of golden sunsets, mirrored by clear waters, Awoye is now the site of a fiery blaze that has been burning for the past three years.
As the oil spill continues to fuel the fire, films of oil and toxic chemicals form a molotov cocktail, killing fish and blocking the natural aeration for marine life.
In May 2020, the fire in the Ororo-1 oilfield erupted as a result of high pressure from its core. When the fire started, the reservoir pressure was at 8,000 pound-force per square inch (psi). Usually, oil wells with a temperature above 150 degrees Celsius and 10,000 pound-force per square inch (psi) are high-temperature, high-pressure wells. These sites are at risk of reacting with naturally occurring compounds in the earth, which may lead to a volatile thermal reaction.
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Before its present volatile state, Awoye was renowned for its cocoa production. Fishmongers thronged from far and wide to the town to buy the catch of the day. Now, the smoky aroma of grilled fish has been replaced by the toxic fumes from combusting chemicals.
Nestled between Ogun and Delta states, the southernmost border of Ondo State is the Atlantic Ocean. Ileaja’s ocean soaked shores, once pristine and salty hark back to simpler times, the era of the ancient Akure Kingdom.
Read more: https://dailytrust.com/ondo-community-cries-for-help-as-ororo-1-oilfield-inferno-rages/
