The Shell Petroleum Development
Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) is committed to cleaning up oil spills
in the Niger Delta, no matter what the cause. Some occur after
operational failures, but most result from criminal activities.
Operational spills
Over the past five years, from 2007 to 2011, just over a quarter of
the oil that escaped from SPDC facilities was due to operational causes
such as human error or equipment failure. In the case of operational
spills the company negotiates compensation with the landowner. It may
also help by providing clean water and food.
No spill is
acceptable and SPDC is working to improve its performance in this area.
You can follow SPDC’s progress in tackling spills on a website,
which confirms the cause and volume of each confirmed spill from its
facilities and allows users to track how it deals with them.
Oil theft and pollution
Criminal activities including sabotage, oil theft and illegal
refining are causing huge environmental damage in the Niger Delta. From
2007 to 2011, these activities accounted for almost three-quarters of
the oil that escaped from SPDC facilities.
A BBC news report broadcast in April 2012 - opens in new window shows how oil is stolen in Nigeria, and the environmental impact it causes. In 2010, CNN ran a news report - opens in new window about the dangers and environmental impact of oil theft and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta.
In
June 2010 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) issued a
media release highlighting the extent of environmental damage from
criminal activity targeting the oil industry, including illegal
refineries in the Gokhana area.
UNEP
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