Shell resumes oil export from Forcados Oil Export Terminal, lifts Force Majeure

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) on Monday said it has resumed oil exports from the Forcados Oil Export Terminal halted on April 4 over ‘unforeseen circumstances’ in its operations.

Mr Michael Adande, an SPDC Spokesman confirmed the development to our correspondent in an email on Monday.

Adande explained that the oil firm has lifted the ‘Force Majeure’ on Forcados exports Programme effective Monday, April 13, 2020.

Force Majure is a legal clause that absolves a company from legal liabilities due to circumstances beyong its control.

Adande said that lifting of the Force Majeure notice is sequel the re-opening of the Trans Forcados Pipeline by the operator, Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited  

Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited (HEOSL), operator of the Trans Forcados Pipeline had shutdown the facility on April 4, 2020.

“Subsequently, SPDC, operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, had declared a Force Majeure on the Forcados Oil Terminal Offtake Programme effective 1700hrs of Monday, April 6, 2020,” Adande said.

Meanwhile ,investigations indicate that the suspension of oil exports may be linked to the oil spill at Angiama community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in Bayelsa in March.

The oil leakage has been traced to equipment failure.

The spill reportedly emanated from Well No. 13 at the oilfield operated by SPDC at Angiama, a coastal settlement by the Nun River.

A source, who participated in the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to probe the cause of the leak, which discharged a yet to be ascertained volume of crude into the environment has been investigated and report signed by the parties.

It was gathered that the JIV team comprised both regulators and the oil firm were unanimous  on the cause of the incident.

Mr Johnbull Edward, the Chairman, Angiama Community Development Committee said JIV conducted on the spill by the officials of SPDC, regulators and the community representatives indicated it was caused by equipment failure.

JIV is a statutory team convened after any leak by operator, regulators, community and government representatives to ascertain the cause and quantity of oil leakage from oil spills.

Checks at SPDC’s oil spills website revealed no record of the incident at Angiama but indicated that SPDC recorded two spills in the month of March.

The incident of March 5 was an operational spill, while that of March 16 was caused by sabotage according to the JIV report on the web portal.  

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