Shell looking into oil spill in Diebu creek, Bayelsa

Shell Petroleum Development Company ( SPDC) has said that it is studying a report of an oil spill from its facility in the creek of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. It said it got a report that an operational mishap on August 24 at Diebu Creek Flow-station discharged a yet-to-be ascertained volume of crude into the environment. Indigenes of the riverside settlement of Peremabiri in the council area had lamented the adverse impact of the spill, alleging insensitivity and neglect by SPDC.

They noted with regret that the delayed response to the spill by the company had led to damage to the land and marine environment. But SPDC in a statement by its Spokesman, Mr Michael Adande confirmed that the oil firm was in receipt of the report of the spill. He said “We are working with regulators and local community to investigate the reported incident. The Diebu Creek stopped injection into the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in mid-June 2022 owing to constant breaches of the TNP by crude oil thieves. The TNP is currently undergoing tests with water main flushing.”

According to Peremabiri community, the discharge of large volumes of crude into the environment has polluted the Nun river, swamps and farmlands  causing untold hardship  to the predominantly fishing and  farming populace. The chairman, Peremabiri Community Development Committee, CDC, Mr. Return Koma,  in a telephone chat on Monday said officials of SPDC had convened a Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) to the flow station and impacted site for Monday. “They called to say that they are coming for a JIV on Tuesday and shortly they shifted it to today being Monday, so we are waiting,” Koma said. Koma  said that the JIV report will reveal the cause of the spill, estimated volume of spill and impacted area.