Shell reports new oil spill in Nigeria

Reuters

13 November 2011

Shell reports new oil spill in Nigeria

YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch energy major Shell said on Sunday it was containing a new oil spill in Nigeria's onshore delta, the latest in a string of leaks from the company's pipelines, which it has blamed on sabotage attacks and oil theft.

The spill came from part of Shell's Okordia/Rumuekpe oil pipeline in the Niger Delta, where a fire last week forced the company to cut out some production.

Oil spills are common in Nigeria and are often caused by oil thieves and saboteurs who tap into the hundreds of kilometers of unguarded pipelines that vein through the vast waterways, creeks and swamplands of the Niger Delta.

"SPDC (Shell joint venture) contained a spill on the Adibawa delivery line which was reported yesterday. We dispatched our spill containment team to the site as soon as we received the reports, and the leak has been contained," the company said in a statement.

It did not give a reason for the leak or any details about the impact on output. Environment Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria said the latest leak was a result of operational failure and poor equipment maintenance by Shell.