Host community has forced Conoil Producing Limited to shut its crude oil production flow station at Ango field in Koluama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
Protesters stormed the facility on Monday and ordered staffers to shut down the 30,000 barrels per day capacity flow station over alleged insensitivity to the people by the indigenous oil exploration and production company.
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.
A community leader in Koluama 1, Chief Young Fabby, said the aggrieved community shut operations at the flow station on Monday and sacked oil workers deployed to run the oil facility following Conoil’s failure to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which expired in 2020.
“The Koluama clan was compelled to take the action following the refusal of the oil company to dialogue on several outstanding issues amongst which is the MoU which expired for more than one year.
“All entreaties through established channels have been rebuffed. Secretary of Koluama kingdom Oil/Gas Committee, Jonathan Amabebe, had drawn attention to the refusal of Conoil and this is regrettable,” he told newsmen.
