The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) announced on Monday that it had commenced an investigation on a complaint lodged about an oil spill from one of its assets at Ogboinbiri in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to the spokesperson for SPDC, Mr. Micheal Adande, the oil spill which happened on the 24th of August, at the SPDC’s Diebu Creek flow station in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area was said to have released an unconfirmed volume of crude oil into the ecosystem of Peremabiri community.
The residents of the community had cried out over the damage the oil spill had caused in their community and pointed fingers at the SPDC for their negligence.
The community said the delayed response to the oil spill complaint by the SPDC had resulted in major damage with great negative effects on the land and marine environment.
Attesting to the report concerning the spill, Adande, said, “We are working with regulators and the local community to investigate the reported incident.
“The Diebu Creek stopped injection into the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in mid-June 2022 owing to constant breaches of the TNP by crude oil thieves.
“The TNP is currently undergoing tests with water main flushing.”
The community said the spilling of large volumes of crude oil into the environment had polluted the Nun River, swamps and farmlands, and rivulets, causing untold difficulty to the largest fishing and farming settlement.
Mr. Return Koma, Chairman, Peremabiri Community Development Committee, said officials of SPDC had gathered a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to the flow station and affected site.
He said, “They called to say that they are coming for a JIV on Tuesday and shortly they shifted it to today being Monday, so we are waiting.”
Koma said the findings of the JIV would disclose the actual cause of the spill, estimated volume of the spill, and affected area.