By Yahaya Umar
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ,NIMASA, has confirmed a fresh oil spill at the Shell Petroleum Development Company ,SPDC, loading terminal in Bonny, Rivers State.
The agency in a statement said the incident resulted from a ruptured pipeline but did not disclose if it was due to the activities of vandals.
The agency said the spill has reached the 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.
SPDC has promptly shut down the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms to prevent casualties and protect the neighbouring communities.
“On Saturday, December 14, 2024, an oil spill occurred at the Shell Petroleum Development Company ,SPDC, loading terminal, SMI, in Bonny, Rivers State.
“The incident resulted from a ruptured pipeline. SPDC has promptly shut down the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms to protect the neighbouring communities.
“Although the spill has reached the shoreline, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency ,NIMASA, is actively monitoring the situation from an emergency operations centre. The agency is collaborating with SPDC and other relevant stakeholders to assess the extent of the spill and determine necessary follow-up actions.
“Members of the public are advised to remain calm as NIMASA is committed to mitigating the impact of the spill and restoring affected areas”, the statement read.
Oil spills have been a common feature over the last decades, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta region caused by a multitude of reasons including pipeline vandalism, weak infrastructure, operational failures, natural triggers, and illegal refining.
This has led to challenges for Niger Deltans particularly those engaged in farming and fishing as spills leave long-term effects that affect aquatic life, potable water, and soil fertility.
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 shut down in December 2023 for maintenance.
Shell has faced criticisms and legal battles over recurrent oil spills that have caused land and water pollution in the Niger Delta 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.
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.
