Niger Delta: Oil Spillage at Shell’s Bonny Island Terminal Reaches Shoreline

An oil spill has been reported at Shell’s loading terminal in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) announced the incident on Sunday.

According to NIMASA, the spill occurred on Saturday at the Bonny Terminal after a pipeline ruptured. The agency stated that the spill had reached the shoreline and reported that it is monitoring the situation.

NIMASA added that it is working with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and others to contain the spill, assess the damage, and ensure the safety of nearby communities. SPDC has reportedly shut down the pipeline and deployed equipment to limit the spill’s spread.

Members of the public are advised to remain calm as NIMASA is committed to mitigating the impact of the spill and restoring affected areas, the agency stated.

However, this is one of many cases and marks the second reported spill from a Shell facility this year. On 20 January, a leak occurred in the Obolo-Ogale pipeline, owned by Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary, which feeds the crucial Trans Niger. In 2020 and 2021, Nigeria’s National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) recorded 822 oil spills, totalling 28,003 barrels of oil released into the environment.

Those who rely on farming and fishing have suffered direct losses to their livelihoods, while residents have reported various health problems. Life expectancy in the Niger Delta is estimated to be 41 years, 10 years below the national average.

At Shell’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in May, UK-based activist Mikaela Loach criticised the company for decades of pollution in the Niger Delta. She accused Shell of prioritising profits over people’s lives and described the devastating impact on communities.

Loach noted that Shell has failed to take responsibility for spills that have contaminated drinking water and destroyed livelihoods. She also alleged the company was trying to avoid accountability by selling its onshore oil assets while facing legal challenges from affected communities.

Since oil was discovered in the Niger Delta in 1956, spillage has caused severe environmental and health hazards. Gas flaring has further compounded these issues, releasing dangerous substances like carbon monoxide and methane, which impact millions of people in the area.

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