10 October 2011, Sweetcrude, Lagos – An explosion on a Shell Petroleum pipeline in Nigeria has led the company to declare force majeure on some crude oil exports from the country for almost three months.
The Anglo-Dutch supermajor was informed of a leak on the Trans Forcados pipeline on 6 October but it is unclear when the explosion occurred.
The force majeure came into effect at noon local time on Monday and is expected to remain in force through the remainder of 2011.
A statement from Shell said a Nigerian investigation “found that (the leak) was caused by explosive damage”.
Shell Petroleum Development Company, the company’s offshoot in Nigeria, “is working to repair the pipeline and resume production as quickly as possible,” the statement continued.
There are not believed to have been any casualties or injuries as a result of the blast which is understood to have affected the pipeline at a single location. The amount of oil spilled is currently unknown.
