Shell investigating source of oil leakage in Bayelsa
community, says spokesman
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.
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 our
correspondent 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.
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