Economy

Shell Reports Fresh Oil Spill at Ogale Facility, Investigation Underway

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has confirmed a fresh oil spill at its facility in Ogale, Rivers State.

The incident occurred when a storage pit (saver pit) overflowed during cleaning operations, leading to an oil discharge near a pipeline.

The spill was first reported on Tuesday by Reuters, citing Shell’s confirmation that its emergency response team had contained the overflow and informed regulatory authorities.

The company added that “arrangements were being made for a regulator-led joint visit to determine the cause and impact of the spill.”

Local environmental advocacy group Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) provided additional details, explaining that the spill occurred when an underground pit containing crude oil began flowing into a pipeline.

The affected pipeline separates an area that is part of the ongoing Ogoni cleanup project, raising further concerns over the potential environmental impact.

This latest incident follows a series of spills involving Shell’s operations in Nigeria. On December 14, 2024, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) reported another oil spill at Shell’s Bonny loading terminal (SMI).

According to NIMASA, Shell acted swiftly by shutting down the affected pipeline and deploying containment booms to prevent further contamination.

Earlier in August 2024, another oil spill occurred at Shell’s facility in the Imiringi community, Bayelsa State. Shell attributed that incident to oil theft, a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s oil-producing regions.

Shell’s latest spill at Ogale is expected to draw further scrutiny from environmental regulators and local communities.

With an official regulator-led investigation pending, attention will now turn to assessing the extent of the damage, potential remediation efforts and Shell’s compliance with environmental regulations.

As authorities prepare to conduct a joint assessment, the spill underscores ongoing challenges in oil spill management, environmental protection, and corporate responsibility in one of Nigeria’s most sensitive oil-producing areas.

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