The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) says it has halted crude feeds into its 16-inch Nun River-Kolo creek crude trunkline in Bayelsa, following an oil spill.
In a statement on Friday, Michael Adande, spokesperson of SPDC, said the company shut down its joint venture asset in the Obololi community, Bayelsa, as it works to contain and clean up the spill.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) reported the oil spill from Shell’s underwater pipeline on Thursday.
Chukwuemeka Woke, director-general of NOSDRA, said the agency received a report of the incident on Monday and then initiated a joint investigative visit (JIV) to determine the cause of the spill.
However, Woke said the exact cause of the leak remains unknown as the pipeline is submerged in water.
Shell explained that shutting down the underwater pipeline stopped the leak, adding that it also plans to conduct the regulator-led JIV.
“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 said.
“The team immediately isolated the line and suspended production into the line. The regulatory authorities and other stakeholders have been notified. Plan to conduct a regulator-led Joint Investigation Visit (JIV), to determine the cause and impact of the spill is ongoing.”
Shell said the 16-inch pipeline evacuates oil produced from various oil fields within Bayelsa swamps and transports it to the SPDC’s manifold in Kolo.
Meanwhile, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has taken a step in addressing oil spillages and environmental pollution by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a firm, F1 Consulting.
The agreement, signed at NOSDRA headquarters in Abuja, aims to enhance collaboration between the agency and key stakeholders, including oil companies and host communities, for speedy detection and prompt response to oil spills.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NOSDRA, Engr Chukwuemeka Woke, emphasised the agency’s commitment to fully implementing the MOU’s provisions. “We are prepared to implement 100 percent of the content of this MOU and are confident that our partners will do the same,” he said.
He further called on oil companies and other critical stakeholders to cooperate with NOSDRA in tackling oil spills.
