Shell Shuts Floating Storage Facility …Alerts On Rising Pipeline Vandalism, Crude Theft, Illegal Refineries

A Shell Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, operating off the Bayelsa coastline, has been shut down due to water leakage.
The company’s spokesman, Mr. Michael Adande, disclosed this in a statement, yesterday.
This is even as the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has raised alarm over increase in the spate of pipeline vandalism, crude theft and illegal refineries operations in Nigeria.
According to Adande, the vessel has been safely anchored for repairs.
He explained that the offshore crew on board the vessel, christened, ‘Sea Eagle’, reported the water inflow into the hull of the facility on July 24.
“The water inflow did not affect the section of the FPSO where any crude is stored. An emergency response team has been successfully activated to respond to the incident and to contain the water inflow,” he said.
Adande said that the FPSO could store up to 1.4million barrels of processed crude, and had a production capacity of 170,000 barrels per day.
However, speaking during an interactive session with journalists in Port Harcourt, the Head Corporate Relations, Shell Nigeria, and Director, SPDC, Igo Weli, said that the high rate of pipeline vandalism, crude theft and illegal refineries was responsible to the hardship, high dollar exchange rate, poor infrastructure, among others, being experienced in Nigeria.
Weli reiterated that Shell has a future in Nigeria, and as such would not leave the country, but rather, would seriously implement strategic restructuring programme to meet its needs.
He maintained that the company was collaborating with governments and critical stakeholders to ensure the fight against illegal refineries, crude oil theft; pipeline vandalism was result-oriented, so that everyone can have a clean environment free from soot for all to live in.
Weli added that the problem of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and illegal refineries would have been solved earlier if everyone had played their role, rather than feeling unconcerned.
He noted that all that was needed now at this time was a fundamental shift by everyone to correct the wrongs with a view to moving the country forward.
“I think this problem has gone worst because everyone feels it’s not their problem. It’s a fundamental shift that we need to retrace our steps to things that keep us going. We should be asking: what is the cause of the spills impacting our land? If you don’t want to know what the cause is, and you are chasing the symptoms, you will never get result.
“There is link to high cost of dollars to what we are discussing today. Nigeria is owning plenty of debts, yet nothing to show. Oil price is over $100, yet Nigeria is still borrowing in the midst of plenty. The future of the generations yet unborn is at risk due to incessant strikes. Now, doctors are planning to also go on strike.
“All these are totally avoidable, if we pay attention to what we should attention to”, he said.
He commended Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, for his leadership prowess displayed during the fight against illegal refineries and crude oil theft, noting that within the period, soot disappeared from the environment.
He stressed that the governor’s action shows the power of leadership by example.
Also speaking, Manager, Pipelines, Mr John Okojie, stated that crude theft was an organised crime, adding that it has major players in all strata of the society.
Okojie maintained that the crude thieves were people that were technically sound, noting that it was not rocket science for them to be able to do all they do.
“It takes us some months to plan to do a hot tap operation, but it is not difficult for these boys to do the operation overnight”, he said, adding that it was a high risk business they were engaging in because it could take one’s life.
On his part, Lead Encroachment Manager, Olarewaju Abiola, while talking on the Business Update from the session in Owerri, Imo State, stated that Shell had, in the past, saved so many lives that had built on high pressure pipelines by asking them to relocate and settling them just to maintain peace even when it was their fault.
Abiola noted that the meeting in Port Harcourt was to request the Media to relay Shell’s story on encroachment unedited to the understanding of the general public.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana