An oil spill occurred at a Shell loading terminal in the Niger Delta region last weekend, marking the second spill of crude oil at the company’s facility this year.
According to a statement by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the spill occurred on Saturday at the Bonny terminal.
The agency said the spill has reached shoreline and that it was actively monitoring the situation.
NIMASA added that it was working with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and other stakeholders to assess the extent of the spill and ensure that residents of neighbouring communities are safe.
According to Reuters, the SPDC has shut down the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms to prevent casualties.
This is the second reported spill from a shell facility this year, as a pipeline leak led to a spill in January.
The last spill in January reportedly occurred at the Obolo-Ogale pipeline in southern Rivers State which feeds a 180,000 barrel-per-day Trans Niger line, one of two conduits to export Bonny Light crude. The same facility had been shutdown in December 2023 for maintenance.
Shell has faced criticisms and legal battles over recurrent oil spills that have caused land and water pollutions in the Niger Deta region.
Recall that a High court ruling in November 2020 ordered Shell to pay 800 billion naira ($878 million) to communities of Egbalor Ebubu in Rivers state, over oil spills from the company’s facility that polluted waterways and farms.
After a series of denials and appeals, the Supreme Court of Nigeria found SDCN liable for the spills and ordered the company to pay N30,288,681 as compensation to four communities in Delta State.
What you should know
This is the second spill from a Shell facility in the Niger Delta region this year.
- Oil spills that have caused massive environmental degradation have been a major factor that contributed to arm struggles in the Niger Delta regions in the 1990s through early 2000s.
- The struggles declined following an amnesty programme facilitated by the administration of Late President Musa Yaradua in 2009.
- According to NIMASA, the latest spill of crude oil occurred on Saturday at the Bonny terminal of SPDC in Rivers State.
The impact of the spill is not known yet as both NIMASA and the Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) are yet to give details of the spill.
SPDC has reportedly shut down the affected pipeline.