The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has confirmed the successful stoppage of the Santa Barbara Oil spill at Nembe Creek in Bayelsa State.

Mr Gbenga Komolafe, the Commission Chief Executive made this known in a statement on Thursday.

Komolafe said that the Well operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production Company has been ‘killed ‘ through the professional deployment of appropriate technology and effective collaboration with all stakeholders by the commission.

He said that the Commission was proud of the efforts of all stakeholders which ensured that there was no associated fire or fatality during the period of the spill.

“In line with global best practice, the Commission will continue to monitor the containment of the spill at the site while Clean Nigeria Associate (CNA) will remain active to conclude ongoing clean up efforts.

“As the Upstream regulator, the Commission will provide necessary oversight in the response planning by Aiteo and carry out statutory Joint Investigation Visit(JIV) once Well kill equipment has been demobilised from site,” he said.

In furtherance of the Commission’s incident management plans, he noted that Post Impact Assessment studies would commence under strict supervision of the Commission with an approved scope as soon as the clean up was concluded, to ensure adequate restoration of the impacted environment.

According to him, the Commission wishes to appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the affected communities during the period of the spill.

The oil spill started on Nov 5, 2021.