The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered Heritage Energy Operational Services Ltd (HEOSL), operator of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) 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, and commence remediation of the affected environment.
Justice Adamu Turaki Mohammed issued the order 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 order came after a blowout at Well 14 on June 26, which has reportedly continued to discharge crude oil, gas and other petroleum substances into the surrounding environment, raising concerns over pollution, destruction of farmlands, contamination of water sources and threats to the livelihoods of residents.
Ruling on the application, Justice Mohammed ordered HEOSL, NOSDRA, their agents, officers, privies, proxies and anyone acting on their behalf to stop, abate and halt the ongoing crude oil and gas spillage from Uzere Oil Well 14 in OML 30 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.
The court also ordered the respondents to mobilise resources to clean up the impacted site and take steps to protect the environment pending the determination of the case.
The order stated that the respondents must “stop/abate and/or halt the ongoing crude oil and gas spillage at Uzere Oil Well 14” and also “mobilise resources to clean up the impacted site and protect the environment.”
The court further directed HEOSL and NOSDRA to file an interim report showing the extent to which they had complied with the orders.
The respondents were given 14 days from the date they were served with the court order to submit their compliance report to the Registry of the Federal High Court.
The court’s decision followed submissions from lawyers representing both HEOSL and NOSDRA, who confirmed that their respective clients had been served with the application and were not opposing the reliefs sought by the Uzere community.
O.O. Jarikre, counsel to HEOSL, told the court that the company was served with the application on August 12 and had subsequently filed a memorandum of conditional appearance. He confirmed that the company was not objecting to the application.
Similarly, S. Akomaye, counsel to NOSDRA, confirmed service and informed the court that the agency was also not opposing the reliefs sought.
N.O. Akporuvweku, counsel to the plaintiff, informed the court that an earlier order compelling the respondents to show cause had already been made and served.
He further told the court that the parties had agreed that the compliance period requested in the application should be extended from seven days to 14 days.
The court subsequently granted the amendment, directing that the third prayer of the application should read 14 days instead of seven days.
Justice Mohammed then ordered the respondents to submit and file an interim report of compliance with the orders concerning the stoppage of the discharge and remediation of the affected area within 14 days of service of the order.
High Chief Odio Lucky represented the plaintiff during the proceedings, while the order was issued under the seal of the court and signed by the Registrar, M.S. Hassan.
The court order places an immediate legal obligation on HEOSL and NOSDRA to contain the continuing discharge, commence environmental clean-up and take measures to protect the affected community while the substantive case proceeds.
The development is the latest in a series of actions surrounding the Well 14 incident, which has generated growing concerns among residents and community stakeholders over the environmental and economic consequences of the prolonged discharge.
Oil exploration in Uzere dates back to 1957, following the discovery of commercial crude oil at Oloibiri in 1956. Over the years, oil exploration and production expanded across the area, leading to the establishment of the Uzere West and Uzere East oil fields.
The community currently hosts numerous oil wells and associated infrastructure, including flow stations, pipelines, manifolds and platforms.
The prolonged incident at Well 14 has reportedly affected the surrounding environment, with residents raising concerns about farmland, water sources and other resources on which members of the community depend for their livelihoods.
The court intervention also comes after the OML 30 Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Board, in July, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to HEOSL to produce a comprehensive action plan detailing how it intended to contain the spill and permanently address the Well-Head 14 incident at Uzere Cluster 09.
The directive followed an inspection and environmental assessment conducted by the OML 30 PIA Board in collaboration with community stakeholders after the spill from the company’s facility caused extensive concern in Uzere.
According to reports from the assessment, the incident had destroyed farmlands, contaminated water bodies and threatened the livelihoods of residents in the Isoko South community.
During the inspection, more than 25 trucks were reportedly stationed at the affected site as Heritage Operational Energy Limited intensified efforts to recover spilled crude and contain the incident.
The delegation was received at the operational site by Sylvester Ifode, Managing Director of the Community Relations Department of Heritage Operational Energy Limited.
Speaking to officials of the company and representatives of the community during the inspection, Henry Ojogho, Chairman of the OML 30 PIA Board, stressed that host communities remained willing to support legitimate oil and gas operations but insisted that such activities must not endanger human lives, livelihoods or the environment.
Ojogho gave the company 72 hours to submit a clear and workable plan for permanently containing the crude oil and gas discharge.
He said oil production should not come at the expense of the lives, health and wellbeing of residents and called on the Delta State Government and relevant regulatory authorities to treat the incident as an environmental emergency.
He also urged Heritage to intensify containment and remediation efforts in accordance with the Petroleum Industry Act, environmental regulations and internationally accepted industry standards.
A representative of HEOSL had disclosed during the inspection that foreign technical experts were already on their way to Nigeria to assist with containment and remediation efforts.
The representative also assured residents that the company would continue monitoring the situation and work towards finding a permanent solution to the incident.
With the latest Federal High Court order, the pressure on HEOSL and regulatory authorities has now shifted from assurances and directives to a court-enforced obligation, with the respondents required to demonstrate within 14 days what concrete measures they have taken to stop the discharge and begin cleaning up the affected environment.
The substantive legal proceedings are expected to determine further issues arising from the incident, while the court’s interim orders remain in force pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.