Shell laments increasing sabotage spills

company laments over oil spill

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) yesterday, said the number of oil spill incidents, especially on a trunk line in Bayelsa by unknown persons is increasing. This month alone, the company said it has recorded six separate oil spill incidents on the Okordia-Rumuekpe trunk line at Ikarama in Bayelsa State.

”The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) recorded six separate oil spill incidents on the Okordia-Rumuekpe trunk line at Ikarama in Bayelsa State, between August 2 and 15 this year, all from hacksaw cuts by unknown persons” the company said in a press statement issued yesterday. The 33km line receives crude oil from two flow stations which were shut down as SPDC worked to repair the leaks. Repair was completed on five previously reported incidents on August 13. The sixth point was sabotaged on August 15 and reportedly set on fire by unknown persons on August 18. The fire has burnt out, and an SPDC team was able to repair the last of the leak points on August 20, after about 100 community women initially blocked access to the spill site. Tony Attah, vice president, HSE and Corporate Affairs, Shell Sub-Saharan Africa said the number of the sabotage spills on the trunk line have reached seven this year. “If you add the six in August to another one we recorded in June, it means there have been seven sabotage spills on the same trunk line just this year. We are concerned by the increasing cases of sabotage at Ikarama and appeal to those causing these incidents to stop for the sake of the environment, their personal safety and wellbeing of the communities. Thankfully, the fire was contained within the right-of-way of the trunk line and no buildings of any sort were burnt, contrary to the impression given in some media reports,” he said.

On Sunday night, the company said another three hacksaw cuts were reported on the nearby Adibawa delivery line and while it is mobilising to repair this line, production is shut-in. Mr Attah added that while it continues to respond as quickly as possible to incidents, its task is made more difficult if people continue to carry out sabotage attacks causing spills. SPDC claims that more than 75 percent of all oil spill incidents and more than 70 percent of oil spilled from the SPDC Joint Venture (JV) facilities in the Niger delta over the last five years (2006-2010) were caused by sabotage and crude theft activities.

Persistent oil sabotages, production disruptions and oil spillages over the years have remained a welfare, economic, and security challenge for the nation. Experts however say despite the numerous challenges, the nation’s economic growth remains resilient, riding on the back of fairly strong oil prices and production, aided by reduced militancy activities, while the non oil and gas sector complements.