Shell Pipeline Fire Devastates Ogoni Communities

Three Ogoni communities of Bera, B-Dere and Bodo West in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State have again suffered severe devastation from fire triggered on the Trans Niger Pipeline of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

As a result of the inferno, Shell had quickly moved in to stop feeding the affected pipeline with crude oil from neighbouring fields in order to halt the fire and the devastating spill.

Shell has also mobilized its emergency response team, including fire fighting experts, to quell the inferno and assess the extent of destruction and damage to the ecosystem and the environment.

The Tide learnt that the affected communities have had a long history of devastating fires and oil spills as they harbour a litany of Shell pipelines and manifolds, which convey crude oil from flowstations around Ogonuiland as well as those located in other oil fields in Rivers and Abia States to Bonny Export Terminal.

It was gathered that since the shut down of Shell operations in Ogoni more than 15 years ago, all crude oil passing through the pipelines to Bonny Export Terminal have come from other fields and flowstations outside Ogoni.

But because of the restriction of Shell staff from the area, The Tide checks revealed that most of the installations and facilities have remained unattended to for years, making them vulnerable and susceptible to pressures from huge crude flows and surges.

Meanwhile, a joint investigation team, consisting of Shell, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ministry of Environment, Gokana Local Government Council, security agencies, and community representatives has been mobilized to the area to ascertain the cause of the inferno, and recommend appropriate strategies to check any future occurrence. 

Shell’s spokesman, Precious Okolobo told The Tide in a telephone interview, that investigation to unravel the cause of the fire was ongoing, and admitted that there were leakages on the affected pipeline.

Okolobo noted that in the course of the exercise, proper clean up of the impacted site will be done to remediate and restore the environment.

 When The Tide visited the affected area, thick smoke was still seen billowing at the spill site while farmland, economic crops, including natural streams were devastated, compounding previous damages done in the area by past spills.

Soldiers were also seen at strategic points, trying to bring the situation under control, and prevent the breakdown of law and order.

Beemene Taneh