Professional Management of Contaminated Land Remediation at a Decommissioned Petroleum Refinery in the Niger Delta

This study examines the professional management processes and technical approaches employed in contaminated land remediation at a decommissioned petroleum refinery site in the Niger Delta, providing a practice-based assessment of project management, stakeholder engagement, and technical decision-making in a complex remediation context. Decommissioning of petroleum infrastructure in the Niger Delta generates a significant remediation liability, and the management of these projects requires integration of environmental engineering expertise, regulatory engagement, community relations, and project controls in a socially and technically challenging environment. The study employs a case study methodology drawing on project documentation, remediation progress reports, and semi-structured interviews with the remediation project manager, NESREA site representatives, community liaison officers, and remediation technology contractors. The case site is a 34-hectare former refinery in Delta State that has been under active remediation since 2020. Management process analysis examines project phasing, quality assurance systems, community engagement mechanisms, and adaptive management responses to emerging site conditions. Technical review evaluates the selection and performance of in-situ bioremediation, soil washing, and containment technologies applied at the site. Findings identify community trust deficit as the most significant non-technical project management challenge, exacerbated by a history of incomplete previous remediation attempts. Adaptive management protocols are well documented but insufficiently responsive to real-time monitoring data. Recommendations include formalising real-time monitoring data review cycles and community progress briefings into the project management plan. Keywords: contaminated land, remediation management, petroleum refinery, Niger Delta, decommissioning.