Major Environmental Emergency Declared in Niger Following Oil Blowout

A massive oil and gas spill in Niger’s remote eastern desert has resulted in a “exceptional severity” environmental crisis, according to the petroleum ministry on Monday. The landlocked West African nation has been producing oil since 2011, extracting and refining tens of thousands of barrels per day, primarily in the Agadem region.

According to a ministry statement shown on national television, the accident occurred on September 25 at the Goumeri W8 oil well, which is around 1,700 kilometres (1,000 miles) from the capital Niamey.

It has led to an environmental incident of exceptional severity… characterised by the spewing of large quantities of crude oil and gas to a height of over 10 meters (33 feet)”, the statement stated. On the evening news, footage showed crude oil gushing several meters into the air and a slick flowing for hundreds of meters across the ground.

According to the ministry, “the situation is partially contained but not yet fully under control” as of Monday. The origins of the blowout “have not been fully established”, but “criminal or terrorist” involvement is under investigation.

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