Court Orders HEOSL to Halt Crude Oil Discharge at Uzere Well 14, Delta State
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has ordered Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), operator of Oil Mining Lease 30, to immediately halt the ongoing discharge of crude oil and gas from Well 14 in Uzere Kingdom, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed issued the orders on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/132/2026, following an application filed by HRM Udogri Isaac I, Chairman of the Uzere Traditional Council, on behalf of the people of Uzere Kingdom.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) was joined as the second respondent in the case.
The court directed HEOSL, NOSDRA, their agents, officers, privies, proxies and any other persons or authorities acting on their behalf to stop, abate or halt the continuing crude oil and gas discharge from Uzere Oil Well 14 pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.
Justice Mohammed also ordered the respondents to mobilise resources to clean up the affected site and take steps to protect the surrounding environment while the substantive application remains pending.
Counsel representing both HEOSL and NOSDRA confirmed that their respective clients had been served with the application and said they were not opposing the reliefs sought.
O.O. Jarikre, counsel to HEOSL, told the court that the company was served on August 12 and had filed a memorandum of conditional appearance. He nevertheless confirmed that HEOSL had no objection to the application.
Similarly, S. Akomaye, counsel representing NOSDRA, confirmed that the agency had been served and informed the court that it was not opposing the reliefs sought.
Counsel to the plaintiff, N.O. Akporuvweku, informed the court that an earlier order requiring the respondents to show cause had been duly served.
He further told the court that the parties had agreed to extend the period for the respondents to demonstrate compliance from the seven days originally sought to 14 days.
The court approved the amendment.
“However, prayer 3 of the application is hereby granted to read 14 days instead of the 7 days sought in the application,” Justice Mohammed ruled.
The court subsequently ordered HEOSL and NOSDRA to file an interim report detailing the measures taken to comply with the orders to stop the discharge and commence environmental remediation.
The respondents were directed to submit the report to the court registry within 14 days of being served with the court’s orders.
High Chief Odio Lucky represented the plaintiff during the proceedings, while the order was issued under the seal of the Federal High Court and signed by Registrar M.S. Hassan.
The legal action followed a blowout at Well 14 on June 26, 2026, which has reportedly continued to release crude oil, gas and other petroleum substances into the surrounding environment.
Residents of Uzere have raised concerns over the environmental and economic consequences of the incident, particularly its reported impact on farmlands, water bodies and livelihoods.
Oil exploration in Uzere dates back to 1957, shortly after commercial quantities of crude oil were discovered at Oloibiri in 1956. The community currently hosts the Uzere West and Uzere East oil fields, as well as several oil wells and associated infrastructure, including flow stations, pipelines, manifolds and platforms.
The court intervention followed earlier efforts by community representatives and Petroleum Industry Act stakeholders to compel the operator to contain the spill and find a permanent solution.
In July, the Chairman of the OML 30 Petroleum Industry Act Board, Henry Ojogho, issued HEOSL a 72-hour ultimatum to submit a comprehensive action plan outlining how it intended to contain the crude oil and gas discharge and permanently resolve the situation at Well-Head 14 in Uzere Cluster 09.
The directive followed an inspection and environmental assessment carried out by the OML 30 PIA Board in collaboration with community stakeholders.
The spill was reported to have affected farmlands and water bodies while threatening the livelihoods of residents.
During an inspection of the affected site, more than 25 trucks were reportedly stationed at the location as the company intensified efforts to recover spilled crude oil and contain the discharge. The delegation was received by Sylvester Ifode of HEOSL’s Community Relations Department.
Ojogho, while addressing company officials and community representatives during the visit, said host communities remained willing to support legitimate oil and gas operations but insisted that such activities must not endanger lives, livelihoods or the environment.
He called on HEOSL to produce a clear and workable plan for permanently containing the spill and urged the Delta State Government and relevant regulatory agencies to treat the situation as an environmental emergency.
A representative of HEOSL had earlier disclosed that foreign technical experts were being deployed to Nigeria to assist with containment and remediation. The company also assured residents that it would continue monitoring the situation and working towards a permanent solution.
The latest Federal High Court orders now impose immediate judicial obligations on HEOSL and NOSDRA to halt the continuing discharge, mobilise resources for cleanup and environmental protection, and report to the court within 14 days of service on the steps taken to comply.
The orders are interim measures pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice and do not amount to a final determination of the substantive dispute.
