Shell Snubs NOSDRA’s Stakeholders Forum On Mitigating Pipeline Vandalism

Nigeria’s dominant operator in the oil and gas sector, the Shell Petroleum Development Company stretched its arrogance and disrespect for the Nigeria government agencies to another level as it stayed away from a programme organized by United Nations Development Programme to mitigate pipeline vandalism.

Officials of the oil spill agency who were discussing the issue in hushed tones said the oil firm said it would have nothing to do with the agency which had ordered Shell to pay a $2.6bn fine over the Bonga spill incident of face legal action.

The Bonga Spill had discharge some 45,000 barrels of crude into the Atlantic in 2011 and polluted the coastline and coastal communities in Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, River and Akwa Ibom.

Shell had refused to comply with the directive and called the bluff of the regulator in the administration of President Jonathan when Deziani Allison-Madueke, an SPDC Executive held sway as Petroleum Minister.

It will be recalled that Shell has the largest operations in Bayelsa and stands to benefit from any initiative aimed at reducing vandalism of oil facilities.

The National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has however commenced the implementation of community-based Disaster Risk Reduction plan aimed at reducing pipeline vandalism in Bayelsa.

Dr Peter Idabor, the Director-General of NOSDRA, announced the implementation of the scheme in 25 Bayelsa Communities at phase two of Disaster Risk Reduction plan held in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

Represented by Dr Musa Idris, the agency’s Director, Oil Field Assessment, Idabor noted that the integration of oil communities in oil spill management would promote a community-driven system of environmental protection.

He said that the agency observed that the non-existence of a community-based strategy of risk reduction in oil spill management constituted a limitation in the industry.

The D-G, noted that pollution from oil exploration caused by pipeline vansalism had adverse environmental implication and threatened the health of residents.

“This has resulted in the development of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) plan for stakeholders’ by NOSDGRA in collaboration with UNDP to mitigate environmental problems.

“The pilot phase of this project was carried out between May 26 and 28, 2014, and the selected communities for the pilot scheme were the Ikarama and Kalaba communities.

“The pilot project and follow-up programmes for these communities were a huge success.

“The DRR plan was developed by NOSDRA to incoporporate and engender an interface with stakeholders that hitherto have not been engaged in the effort to curb pipeline vandalism.

“While it is true that crude oil is spilled into the environment due to equipment failure and operational negligience, pipeline vandalism by unscrupulous members of host and transit communities also contribute.

“This results to adverse socio-economic, health and environmental conditions,” he said.

Representatives of 25 communities across Bayelsa, the Bayelsa Government, Agip as well as Civil Society organisations attended the forum.

In a remark, Mr Iniruo Wills, the Bayelsa Commissioner for Environment, who represented Gov Seriake restated the resolve of the state government to reduce disasters in oilfields within the state to the barest minimum.

He noted that pipeline vandalism was inimical to the economy as the revenue loss deprives the citizens of social amenities that would have been provided by government while enriching the oil thieves.

According to him, the operations of oil thieves had also resulted to proliferation of arms and creating security challenges.

Also speaking, Chief Iyerite Awululu traditional ruler of Oluasiri community, regretted the total neglect of host communities and lack of social amenities in the oil bearing communities

He noted that the communities had endured the environmental impact of oil exploration and had to purchase refined products above the recommended process, a development that made illegally refined products attractive.

“ Kerosene costs N200 per liter but the ones refined locally is sold for N20 in my community, for petrol from official sources, the price is between N110 and N120 but the ones refined locally sells for N15, that is why people buy.

“He urged the federal government to reinstate the 10 percent equity proposed in the Petroleum Industry bill to give oil communities a stake in the oil industry.

Shell had declined to comment on the letter written by NOSDRA D-G urging the firm to pay the fine of face further sanctions from the regulator.

 The NOSDRA had earlier said it has commenced investigations into the possible cause of an explosion at Nembe Creek Oilfields within OML 29 operated by Aiteo Eastern Exploration.

The explosion from an oil well within the oil block on March 1, ignited a fire which Aiteo officials said was put off on March 2.

It will be recalled that an official each  of NOSDRA, Bayelsa Ministry of Environment and 11 others, in 2016, died from a pipeline explosion during a Joint Investigative Visit at Agip’s oilfield in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa.

NOSDRA Director-General, Dr Peter Idabor, who told NAN in a telephone interview on Wednesday that a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) had been scheduled for today.

The volume of crude and gas discharged into the surrounding environment arising from the explosion is yet-to-be ascertained

But Idabor explained that the JIV, a statutory probe of leak incidents in the oil and gas sector would determine the cause of the explosion, volume of oil leakage as well as assess damage to the environment.

He said that a JIV report signed by representatives of the community, NOSDRA, Bayelsa government and the oil firm who participated in the investigation was expected at the end of the probe.

The D-G explained that NOSDRA was monitoring the situation to ensure that the site was safe ahead of commencement of investigations.

“Safety is a top priority in the sector; we were monitoring developments to ensure that another explosion doesn’t go off; so we have got assurances from the oil company that the place is safe.

“A JIV has been scheduled for today and our intention is to assess the situation and find out what happened,” Idabor said.

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), in 2015, divested its equity in OML 29 and transferred its interest for $1.7 bn to Aiteo, an indigenous Oil and Gas Exploration and Production firm.

However, a statement signed by Management of the oil firm made available  on Mach 2, confirmed that there was no human casualty.

Aiteo pledged that investigation into the incident was a priority.

“On 2 March 2019, a suspected explosion occurred within the vicinity of Nembe Creek Well 7, behind Mile 1 Community in Bayelsa State, which is not too far from Nembe field logistics base.

“Despite initial challenges, our operations team was able to access the well head area when the fire had completely died down on early hours of 2, March.

“Preliminary investigations confirm that there were no fatalities; human incidents or damage to community property. All the wells and facilities in the immediate vicinity have been inspected and secured.

“Full investigations to determine the cause of the fire and in particular, to determine whether this may have been caused by a third-party infraction, remain ongoing.

“These investigations are being pursued with the utmost urgency and are have been given the highest priority.

“We are continuing to work with all the relevant authorities to restore full functionality to all the relevant installations and affected areas,” Aiteo stated.