Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) reported that a total of 4,309.18 barrels of crude was spilled into the Niger Delta environment from its operations in the second half of the year 2020. The report says the spills comprise 102.7 barrels through operational failure and 4,199.48 barrels through sabotage.
The current volume of spillage was, however, 30.1 percent lower than 6,165.58 recorded in the first half of 2020.
The oil multinational said it recorded about 73 crude oil spill incidents across the Niger Delta as a result operational failure and sabotage during the period.
Data obtained from the company’s website shows that leaks were caused by corrosion and equipment failure on nine occasions during the period under review, while 64 cases were as a result of sabotage, vandalism and third party interference.
The report revealed that between July and December 2020, the Dutch firm experienced leaks in Delta, Abia, Rivers, Imo and Bayelsa States amounting for over 4,309.18 barrels of crude.
The affected facilities include, 143 Okordia-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 123 Adibawa-Okordia Pipeline, 183 Assa-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 28″ Bomu-Bonny Pipeline, 123 Forcados low pressure delivery line, 203 Rumuekpe-Nkpoku Pipeline and 20″ Kolocreek-Rumuekpe Pipeline.
Others are, 283 Nkpoku-Bomu Pipeline, 203 Kolocreek-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 12″ Imo River-Ogale Pipeline, 363 Nkpoku-Ogale Pipeline, 83 Nkali-Imo River Pipeline, and 4″ Imo River2-Imo River1 Bulkline, 163 Egbema-Assa Pipeline, 4″ Kanbo Well 5L Flowline, 18″ Obele flow station and 20″ Trans-Escravos Pipeline.
Also, the report noted that 63 of the leaks were recorded on land assets, eight occurred on a swampy terrain, while two were recorded on water; the volume of each spill ranges from 0.01barrel to 402 barrels in some of the spill site.
Information from JIV reports, endorsed by the Department of Petroleum Resources, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, host communities, Ministry of Environment in the impacted states and SPDC, showed that nine of these leaks were caused by operational failure, while 64 were caused by third party.
