The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has moved swiftly to reassure the public amidst fears of water contamination following an oil spillage incident involving a vessel that encountered technical difficulties near Old-Ningo in the Greater Accra Region.
A vessel transporting over one million litres of crude oil experienced technical issues, compelling it to make an emergency docking at the Prampram area, bypassing the Tema port.
Since the incident was reported on Sunday, the NPA, along with other key stakeholders including the Customs Preventive Service and National Security, have been actively engaged in containment efforts to prevent any spillage and mitigate the environmental impact.
Abdul-Kudus Mohammed, the Public Relations Officer of the NPA, sought to allay public concerns, emphasizing that there is no immediate threat of water contamination.
“While there may have been some minor droppings of oil into the water, the extent is not significant enough to cause alarm,” Mr Mohammed stated.
He further elaborated that comprehensive measures are in place to safely transfer the crude oil from the distressed vessel to the refinery. The evacuation process is expected to be completed within four days.
“Our focus is on completing the evacuation process by the end of today. If necessary, we may extend into tomorrow morning, but our priority is to ensure the safe removal of all crude oil from the vessel,” he assured.
Source: Norvanreports