THE National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills in the Niger Delta has called for the urgent review of the Trans Niger Pipeline, belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company in Ogoniland.
The group explained that the call had become necessary in order to determine whether the pipeline supplying crude oil to Shell’s facilities at the Bonny terminal could still operate safely.
Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, NACGOND Coordinator, Mr. Inemo Samiama, stated that the recent fire outbreak and oil spill in Bodo community, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State had made the review of the Trans Niger Pipeline imperative.
Disclosing that two persons died while several others were injured in the incident, which occurred on June 19, 2013, Samiama added that Shell had shut down the said pipeline that had existed for over 50 years.
Samiama stated that the quantity of oil spilled on June 19, 2013 was estimated at 7,000 barrels, adding that the spill was stopped 10 days later after a joint inspection attended by the group.
“We are shocked at the level of this spill, its management, and the arrest of Shell contractors in the immediate aftermath on suspicion of involvement with oil theft.”