Shell investigates oil leakage in Bayelsa community

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) says the source of an oil leak that polluted Otuokpoti communities in Bayelsa is being investigated.

Mr Precious Okolobo, Medial Relations Manager at SPDC, stated this in a statement on Monday in Yenagoa.

Okolobo, however, said that there was no oil leakage from its operations in the area.

“The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) is investigating reports of a leak around Otuokpiti community waterfront situated downstream the Ekoli River, where a section of SPDC’s Nun River – Kolo Creek Pipeline is buried.

“Preliminary site visits did not indicate any spill.

“SPDC has, however, shut the pipeline as a precautionary measure pending further investigation,” SPDC stated.
Officials of SPDC and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at the weekend visited Ekole Creek near Otuokpoti in Bayelsa in search of the source of oil leak in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that residents of Otuokpoti community had on Wednesday reported a massive oil leak from an oil field operated in the area.

A resident of the area, Ms Beatrice Okatubo, told NAN on Monday in Yenagoa that officials of SPDC and Agip jointly visited the oil fields to trace the source of oil discharged into the Ekole Creek and the adjoining farmlands.

“Officials of both oil firms visited Otuokpoti to investigate the source of the oil leak and it was traced to Shell but the community had claimed that the spill came from Agip’s facility,” Okatubo said.

Ekole Creek is around Agbura and Otuokpoti communities in Ogbia and Yenagoa local government areas of Bayelsa respectively.

The residents had said the spill resulting from the leak destroyed farmlands and aquatic lives in the communities.

The residents told NAN that crude oil deposits from the spillage, measured about five centimetres thick on the surface of the water, and had been carried away by water current. (NAN)