Fresh oil spillage

Oil giant Shell suffered another major spillage at the weekend in the eastern division of the Niger Delta, ‘The Guardian’ reported on Tuesday.

The leak, at Ogbodu village in the Ikwerre Council area, spread through the Choba River to the Calabar Creek because of the fast flow of the river, the Lagos-based newspaper said. Dead fish could be seen floating on the surface of the water, it added.
Shell’s external relations manager, Donald Boham, said on Monday that some 200 barrels of oil had already been recovered and initial investigations revealed that about three feet of the affected pipe had burst. According to ‘The Guardian’ he ruled out sabotage and thought a build up of pressure in the pipe had caused the rupture.

Oil spills in the southeastern Niger Delta region are often the result of sabotage by militant members of local communities who feel marginalised by the major oil companies.