*2,995 barrels spilled
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — A total of 43 oil spill incidents was recorded by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SPDC, in the second quarter of 2020, as a result of oil theft, sabotage and operational failure.
Data obtained from Shell website shows that between April and June 2020, the Dutch multinational experienced leaks in Delta, Abia, Rivers, Imo and Bayelsa States amounting to 2995.58 barrels of crude oil, while two spill incidents was caused by operational failure in the month of May.
The affected facilities in the period under review are,14″ Okordia-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 10″ Diebu Creek-NunRiver Pipeline, 12″ Adibawa-Okordia Pipeline, 18″ Assa-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 28” Bomu-Bonny Pipeline, 12″ Oguta-Egbema Pipeline, 20″ Rumuekpe-Nkpoku Pipeline, 20” Kolocreek-Rumuekpe Pipeline and Imo River Well 26 Flowline.
Others are, 28″ Nkpoku-Bomu Pipeline, 20″ Kolocreek-Rumuekpe Pipeline, 12” Imo River-Ogale Pipeline, 36″ Nkpoku-Ogale Pipeline, 8″ Nkali-Imo River Pipeline, and 4” Imo River2-Imo River1 Bulkline. 16″Egbema-Assa Pipeline, 4” Kanbo Well 5L Flowline Adibawa Well 6T Flowline Flange, and 4” Bonny Well 10S Flowline Riser.
While, facilities like the 36″ Nkpoku-Ogale Pipeline experienced one leak within the period, the 20″ Kolo Creek-Rumuekpe Pipeline, the 14” Okordia-Rumuekpe pipeline and the 28” Nkpoku-Bomu pipeline were sabotaged three times each, at different theft points within Emuoha, Abua/Odual and Gokana LGA of Rivers State.
35 of the leaks were recorded on land asset, while eight occurred in a swampy terrain; the volume of each spill ranges from 0.03barrel to 655 barrels in each of the spill site.
Information from the 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 two of the leaks were caused by operational failure, while 41 was caused by sabotage.
While no recoverable oil was found in some of the spill sites, repair work have been completed in some sites; repair work and crude recovery are still ongoing in other sites, while assessment would be completed in some of the sites by next year.
