Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has confirmed a new oil spill at its facility in Ogale, located near Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
According to a report by Reuters on Tuesday, the spill occurred after an overflow from a saver pit during flushing operations in the Niger Delta region.
In a statement, Shell explained that its spill response team promptly contained the overflow and notified relevant authorities.
The company also indicated that plans were underway for a joint inspection, led by regulatory bodies, to assess the cause and environmental impact of the spill.
Meanwhile, the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) has suggested that the spill may have been linked to an underground pit filled with crude oil, which started to flow into a pipeline connected to an area of the Ogoni cleanup project.
This incident follows a series of oil spill events involving SPDC. On December 14, 2024, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) reported a spill at Shell’s SMI loading terminal in Bonny, Rivers State.
Shell responded quickly, shutting down the affected pipeline and deploying containment booms to protect surrounding communities.
Earlier, on August 14, 2024, another spill was reported at an SPDC facility in the Imiringi community in Bayelsa State, which the company attributed to oil theft.
These incidents highlight ongoing concerns over environmental safety and the challenges of managing operations in the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
