Shell confirms oil spill in Nigeria
A spokesperson for Shell in Nigeria told Xinhua that the company received a report of an oil spill on Dec. 20 during a routine operation to transfer crude oil from Bonga's floating production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) vessel to a waiting oil tanker.
"An export line linking the FPSO to the tanker has been identified as the likely source, and has been closed and de- pressurised, halting the flow of oil. Early indications show that less than 40,000 barrels of oil have leaked in total. SNEPCo is now in the process of safely shutting down production at the Bonga field as a precautionary measure," a statement on the company's website said.
Shell said it has launched investigation into the incident.
Shell Nigeria Country Chairman Mutiu Sunmonu said the company was sorry the leak happened. The company said it has launched investigation into the incident.
"As soon as we became aware of it, we stopped the flow of oil and mobilized our own resources, as well as industry expertise, to ensure its effects are minimized. It is important to stress that this was not a well control incident of any sort, and to make clear that no-one has been injured. Our focus now is on a speedy and effective clean-up," the statement quoted him as saying.
"Nigeria's Department of Petroleum Resources, and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency have been notified of the incident. SNEPCo's Oil Spill Response Procedure and Emergency Response Team have been activated to manage the situation," he added.
Shell is the largest private-sector oil and gas company in Nigeria. It is the operator of a joint venture in which the government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC), holds 55 percent, Shell 30 percent, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (a subsidiary of Total) holds 10 percent, and Italian oil company Agip holds another 5 percent.