Tension over N-Delta 'worst oil spill in a decade'
By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
Two alleged separate and massive oil spills are threatening several communities in Delta and Bayelsa States. Although crude oil spills have been a recurring decimal in the blighted oil and gas rich Niger Delta, the spill of December 20, 2011 from the Bonga oil field, off the western Atlantic coast close to Ekeremor local government area of Bayelsa State, has been described as the worst in more than a decade.
The spill is already causing ripples with stakeholders from the region alleging cover up.
The Bonga oil field is operated by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, SNEPCo, the deepwater exploration arm of Shell Nigeria which officials, last week, acknowledged workers only discovered the leak after seeing a sheen of crude in water surrounding the offshore oil field.
An estimated 40,000 barrels or 1.68 million gallons reportedly leaked from a damaged export line running from the FPSO to a waiting tanker fuelling anger from the locals.
Expression of doubts over imminent repositioning of the corporation which dominates the Nigerian petroleum industry operations tasked the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr. Austin Oniwon, with endless explanations at the just concluded Nigerian Oil
Shell's deepwater operations subsidiary in Nigeria, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), it commenced maintenance work at the Bonga FPSO facility on Monday. The FPSO, the company said in a media statement, has been shut in to