By Chioma Iruke
At least 51 oil leaks caused by production activities in the Niger Delta in 2021, has been recorded by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC).
This was even as data obtained from the oil firm’s website on Tuesday, indicated that 44 of the spill incidents were traced to sabotage by vandals, while seven of the leaks were caused by operational factors.
“In May, eight spills which discharged 253.07 barrels of SPDC’s bonny light crude blended into the environment.
“Of the eight spills recorded, six were caused by sabotage whereas two were from operational factors,” it said.
The data also showed that operational spills accounted for 6.07 barrels of the 253.07, while sabotage accounted for 247 barrels.
It said that in 2020, 159 spills were reported with sabotage responsible for 140 incidents, while operational factors were responsible for 19.
The firm added that 190 spills were recorded in 2019 with sabotage responsible for 183 incidents, while operational causes accounted for seven spills.
