2 November 2011, Sweetcrude, Lagos – Shell said on Wednesday that it had lifted the force majeure placed exports of Forcados crude oil after completing repairs on a major pipeline vandalized by oil thieves.
“Effective 12:00 noon today (1/11/ 2011) (Tuesday) the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd. lifted the force majeure which had been declared on Forcados loadings, following completion of repairs on the Trans Forcados Pipeline,” Shell said.
The force majeure was declared on Forcados loadings on the October 10 initially expected for October, November and Dec. cargoes, as a result of production shutdown due to a sabotage leak on the Trans Forcados Pipeline.
The leak was reported Oct 6, 2011.
Shell also revealed that there had been a sharp increase in cases of oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, as 10 new cases of sabotage attacks had hit it pipelines in the Eastern Niger Delta division.
“There have been 10 additional oil bunkering incidents in the Eastern Niger Delta since [Shell} shut down production from Imo River on the 28th of August this year, following an upsurge of sabotage activities which have severely impacted the environment,” Shell said.
The company said the latest incidents occurred on its Okordia – Rumuekpe trunk line, Imo River – Ogale trunk line and Buguma – Alakiri trunk line. Four separate incidents were reported on sections of the Obigbo North delivery line at Komkom and Ogale, it added.
“An overfly showed unknown persons had drilled holes and installed valves to transfer crude to waiting barges and trucks, in the process, polluting farm lands and water bodies,” Shell Vice President, HSE and Corporate Affairs, Shell Sub-Saharan Africa, Tony Attah said.
“We are very disappointed that oil thieves are still at work. This is why we call for concerted efforts to help stop this criminal activity,” Attah added.
