Authorities confirm oil spill at Gam-Petroleum depot

Press release

The National Environment Agency (NEA), The Gambia Maritime Administration (GMA), the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) and the Public Utility Authority (PURA), wish to inform the general public about an oil spill incident associated with operations at the GamPetroleum Fuel Storage Depot at Mandinaring Village, Kombo North, West Coast Region. This occurred while offloading/discharging Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) through the GamPetroleum Facility on 19th November 2025, from vesselm/t “DORRY” after observing some oil on the water by the vessel crew. After the incident, Gam Petroleum suspended discharge as a precautionary measure, to assess the situation in search of the problem for full repairs and technical verification on the pipeline; Gampetroleum Management has confirmed that the problem has been identified and fixed right now. Compliance checks and safety certification by the responsible authorities, and confirmation that all risks of recurrence are being enforced.

 GMA and other stakeholders were notified at approximately 8:45 a.m., and an immediate multi-agency incident management protocol was activated. A joint assessment by GMA, NDMA, NEA, and GPA confirmed the presence of oil that had travelled beyond the pipeline area and affected the shoreline near Albert Market, Ferry Terminal, and State House and former Radio SYD. A formal engagement with GP management requesting full incident reports, logs, operational data, and immediate compliance with regulatory orders was established.

Current Status and Next Steps

Clean-up efforts are underway, with all entities maintaining a unified approach to minimize environmental harm, safeguard public health, and stabilize the affected coastal areas.  A work plan with the resource requirements for the clean-up exercise has been developed and submitted to GamPetroleum to facilitate clean up exercise. Currently, all stakeholders are being mobilized to support the cleanup exercise starting tentatively on Tuesday, 25^th November, 2025.

GMA, NDMA, NEA and PURA will jointly conduct a comprehensive investigation to establish the root cause of the incident, ensure full accountability, and strengthen operational safety protocols for the petroleum sector. Enhanced monitoring, improved risk-management systems, and stricter compliance enforcement will be implemented to prevent such events in the future. The Four institutions reaffirm their commitment to timely and transparent communication. The general public shall be updated on the responses and other relevant information when available.