Shell Oil Pipelines in Nigeria Shut After Vandalism

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Global oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell have been forced to shut downline pipelines in Nigeria following vandalism by local youths. According to reports, the youths acted in anger after their surveillance contracts with Shell were terminated. Here's more.

Royal Dutch Shell said on Wednesday it had shut one of its Nigerian flow-stations in the onshore Niger Delta after oil pipeline leaks.

Local youths in Okordia, Bayelsa state, claim responsibility for attacking the pipelines after Shell stopped paying them for surveillance work.

Shell says the cause of the leaks has not been confirmed.

The youths in the community were being employed by Shell to guard the pipelines, which convey crude oil to the Port-Harcourt refinery.

When information reached them that the contract had been terminated, they reacted by damaging the pipelines.

[Igbudu Goodnews, Community Leader]:
"We just got an information that the contract in place has been terminated, so the boys became angry and they started the vandalization."

One man who used to be part of the surveillance team, was cutting grass on Wednesday in the spill-affected region.

[Freedom Nyekefamor, Former Surveillance Employee]:
"I'm part of the surveillance but now no payment again so everything is hooked up now, so look at me I am rolling the machete to brush the farm before, I will now feed my people, which is unfair."

The pipelines run through Bayelsa, the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Crude was still gushing out into one of the thousands of creeks which snake through the oil-rich wetlands region on Wednesday.

It was not clear how much production would be lost from the shut down.

Environmental activist, Morris Alagoa says if the situation is not brought under control, things might worsen.

[Morris Alagoa, Environmental Activist]:
"As we can see now some spill points, crude oil is just bubbling out from the pipe now and with the rains that is on now, unless something urgently is done by Shell to address the situation, I fear that in the next two or three days the Taylor creek will be impacted seriously again by crude oil spill from Shell's pipeline."

Alagoa added that Shell should take responsibility for not following due process when terminating the contract with the community

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• NTD
• NTDTV
• Shell
• Oil
• Pipelines
• Nigeria
• Vandalism
• Royal Dutch
• Okordia
• Port-Harcourt
• refinery
• Goodluck Jonathan

[Snoogumss]

So, they let shell in for "rent" then the "renter" decided not to pay? Is this Shell's land?

[MCAMVP]

The African continent so rich in commodities waiting to be utilized, but are "wasted efficiently" instead.

It's sad to see a marginal group aspire development while the majority renders the promising efforts void.

[greg357159]

So now the oil will poison their land... Blacks are so fucking stupid. The fauna will suffer...

[colanarkomanen]

we all know how much "responsibility" means to the ears of oil companies

[ernesdee2o916]

YOU have greedy Chinese and violent Blacks. What a combo. And don't tell me this isn't true among both these groups cause the majority of the time it is.