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Tuesday, 02 December, 2008, 13:20 GMT | more >>

Shell's Nigerian spill spat


Angry locals hinder clean-up operation



By Upstream staff 

Shell's Nigerian unit has recovered 7000 barrels of crude from a spill in a village near Port Harcourt but locals are disrupting further clean-up efforts, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Shell's Port Harcourt spokesman Donald Boham said the oil from the spill discovered two weeks ago at Ogbodo village in Ikwere district was spreading quickly through nearby creeks and rivers and had already affected 20 communities.

"The company is deeply ocncerned about the hardship the incident has brought to all the affected communities," he said at a news conference. He said about 1000 barrels of oil remain at the site but locals will not allow Shell's team access to do the necessary repairs and clean up. Boom nets draped across the rivers to collect the oil have been cut, he said.

"Actions such as the removal and the cutting of oil containment booms, intimidation, hostage taking and harassment of (Shell) and contractor staff and the denial of access for prompt intervention must be discouraged as they may lead to unecessary delays and prevent proper management of the incident," he said.

Shell said it is providing the local communities with food and medical aid. Three people have reported skin irritation, Boham said

The spill was caused by someone shutting down a valve that caused a build-up of pressure along a stretch of the Trans Niger Pipeline that feeds into the Bonny Export Terminal, Boham said. He said the culprit could only have been a "knowledgeable person, conversant in oil operations" and investigations were ongoing.

Boham said Shell's biggest concern now is whether the smaller pipe through which the oil has been diverted can handle the extra pressure long enough for repairs to be completed. He said representatives from the state and federal government were helping Shell negotiate access to the spill site, Reuters reported.


Tuesday, 10 July, 2001, 19:39 GMT  | last updated: Wednesday, 04 May, 2005, 11:58 GMT

Up the creek: the spill has affected 20 communities along Nigeria's southern wetlands
 

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