*732.61 barrels spilled
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A total of 13 oil spill incidents was recorded by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, in the month of August 2020, as a result of oil theft and sabotage.
Data obtained from Shell website shows that between August 1st and August 31st 2020, the Dutch multinational experienced leaks in Abia and Rivers States amounting to 732.61 barrels of crude oil.
The affected facilities in these states include; 14″ Okordia-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 12″ Imo River2-Ogale Pipeline, 24” Nkpoku-Bomu Pipeline, 28” Bomu-Bonny Pipeline, 6” Imo River Well 59T Flowline, and 20″ Kolocreek-Rumuekpe Pipeline
While the 14″ Okordia-Rumuekpe Pipeline experienced two leaks at two locations, within the month of August, the 12” Imo River-Ogale Pipeline also experienced multiple leaks at different theft points within Owaza, Ukwa West LGA of Abia State.
Two of the leaks were recorded in the swampy terrain, while 11 occurred on land; the volume of each spill ranges from 0.01 barrel minimum to 272 barrels maximum, in each of the spill site.
Information from JIV reports endorsed by the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, Host communities and State Ministry of Environment in the impacted states and SPDC, showed that all the other 13 leaks were caused by sabotage and third party interference.
While no recoverable oil was found in some of the spill sites, recovery and assessment are yet to be completed in some of the sites, as some would take as far as June 2021.