Govt agency to investigate Shell’s pipeline oil spill

The Nigerian Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, has said it will investigate a crude oil leak at a pipeline owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd, SPDC.

The spill occurred in the Obolo-Ogale pipeline in southern Rivers State, which feeds the 180,000 barrel-per-day Trans Niger line, one of the two conduits to export Bonny Light crude.

Ime Ekanem, the agency’s head in Rivers State, told the news agency that it has received a report on the spill and will hold a joint investigation visit to the site on Sunday.

Accordingly, local communities detected the spillage on Friday and reported it to SPDC and NOSDRA.

The incident came after the field barely restarted operation in December last year.

Shell announced it had sealed a deal to sell SPDC to five Nigerian oil companies for up to $2.4 billion.