By Amos Okioma
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has decried the high rate of vandalism on its pipeline network at its oilfields in Bayelsa, resulting to oil leaks and pollution of the environment.
Mr Bamidele Odugbesan, the Media Relations Manager at SPDC, said that the oil firm regreted incessant spills and was committed to maintaining environmentally sustainable operations.
He said that although, the May 17 spill on the Trans Ramos Pipeline was traced to equipment failure, many other leaks were predominantly caused by sabotage.
“The rate of spills on the Trans Ramos Pipeline is very worrisome, for instance between April and May 26, spill incidents were reported on that line and out of these, 18 of them were caused by sabotage, eight were operational,” he said.
He said that the company takes the response to spill incidents and as a rule shuts down any facility once a leak is reported out of the oil firm’s concern for the environment.
Odugbesan said that SPDC has recovered more than 95 per cent of spilled oil from the spill incidents on the Trans Ramos Pipeline (TRP) which runs across Bayelsa and Delta states.
The oil recoveries were made on sections of the TRP in Aghoro community, Bayelsa and Odimodi community, Delta.
He said that the pipeline, which remained shut-in since the incidents, supplied crude to the SPDC’s Forcados Oil Export Terminal in Niger Delta.
“In line with the standard operating procedures of SPDC, the TRP was shut down immediately the incidents were reported and the Oil Spill Response and the Emergency Response teams were activated.
“The team was able to contain as well as manage the incidents and prevent further spillage.
“As soon as clean-up and site assessment are completed, we are committed to starting the immediate remediation of the impacted areas in Aghoro and Odimodi communities.’’ Odugbesan said.