YENAGOA, Nigeria, August 22 – Shell’s Nigerian operations are currently investigating a potential leak on the Trans Niger oil pipeline, which traverses the Bodo community in Rivers state. The company became aware of the possible issue on August 18.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In Nigeria’s southern oil production hub, incidents of oil theft and pipeline sabotage are frequent, with Shell attributing most spills to pipeline vandalism and unauthorized tapping of crude oil.
The Trans Niger oil pipeline, with a capacity of 180,000 barrels per day (bpd), serves as one of two conduits for exporting Bonny Light crude from Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa.
“We are collaborating with the community and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and effective resolution of this situation,” stated company spokesperson Bola Essien-Nelson. However, no force majeure has been declared at this time.
This investigation follows shortly after the resumption of exports through another Shell pipeline in Nigeria. The Forcados pipeline, which handles the medium sweet grade crude, resumed shipments of 220,000 bpd in July. This followed a month-long suspension due to a potential leak at the export terminal.
The cause of the Forcados pipeline’s suspension remains under joint investigation by company and community representatives, in coordination with government agencies.
