The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has suspended crude oil flows into the 16-inch Nun River-Kolo Creek crude trunkline following an oil spill in Bayelsa State.
The spill, which occurred on February 16, was reported the following day at Obololi, a coastline community along the River Nun in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, according to the Director-General of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr. Chukuwemka Woke.
In a statement on Friday, SPDC spokesman Mr. Michael Adande confirmed the shutdown and said response efforts were underway.
“The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), operator of the SPDC Joint Venture (SPDC JV), confirms that its Oil Spill Response Team has identified a leak from one of the SPDC JV assets located in the Obololi community, Southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa State,” Adande stated.
“The team immediately isolated the line and suspended production into the line. The regulatory authorities and other stakeholders have been notified. Plans to conduct a regulator-led Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause and impact of the spill are ongoing.”
While SPDC did not disclose the volume of oil production affected by the shutdown, the 16-inch pipeline transports crude from multiple oil fields in Bayelsa to the company’s manifold in Kolo.
NOSDRA said on Thursday that the cause of the leak and the volume of oil discharged remain undetermined, as the affected pipeline runs beneath the river. The agency has recommended diverting the river into a temporary dam to grant investigators access to the spill site.
The Chairman of Southern Ijaw LGA, Chief Target Segibo, pledged an alternative water supply for the affected community, as the spill has contaminated the Nun River which the people depend on.
Environmentalists and local leaders have raised concerns over the impact of the spill on marine life and residents who rely on the river for their livelihood.
The extent of environmental damage and the timeline for cleanup efforts are still uncertain as investigations continue.
What you should know
- This is the third oil spill from a Shell facility this year. Nairametrics reported that the company recorded over 130 spills in 2024.
- We also reported that Nigeria recorded at least 589 oil spills in 2024, according to data mined from NOSDRA.
- Yesterday, NOSDRA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with F1 Consulting in a move to curb oil spillage in the Niger Delta region and other oil-producing areas across Nigeria.