Nigeria’s federal government has said it will probe Tuesday’s oil spill from Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company’s (SNEPCo’s) offshore Bonga deep water field. Minister of Environment Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia announced the plan on Saturday, four days after a loading accident at the 200,000-barrels-per-day oil field leaked about 30,000 barrels of oil.
She said the government’s investigation would ascertain the cause of the incident, and that the clean-up of the environment, which is being undertaken by various local and international experts, is expected to be completed within the next six weeks.
“We are targeting six weeks for the clean-up to be effective. You know the thing with oil is that when it spills, it spreads and for every second, it keeps spreading because the waters are not still. In any case, there will be an investigation to ascertain the cause and that will be done, of course by technical experts. It will be in the interest of the company, technical partners and in the interest of the nation,’ she said..
Mailafia, accompanied by officials of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and others, has already inspected the deep offshore facility.
She said Shell gave an “accurate report” in terms of the quantity of crude oil spilled, which she estimated at 30,000 barrels.
Meanwhile, a SNEPCo statement has confirmed that the oil leaked from the Bonga facility continues to thin as a result of the effective use of dispersants by seaborne vessels and aircraft.
It said surveillance and aerial photos show the spill is breaking up into patches surrounded by clear water, and that it remains offshore.
‘SNEPCo has brought in experts from across the globe to Nigeria to support the response team, which is working around the clock in shifts. The company continues to engage with the local communities. Joint efforts, in close cooperation with local and national governments and industry partners, continue to combat the spill,’ it said.
Nigeria’s federal government has said it will probe Tuesday’s oil spill from Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company’s (SNEPCo’s) offshore Bonga deep water field. Minister of Environment Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia announced the plan on Saturday, four days after a loading accident at the 200,000-barrels-per-day oil field leaked about 30,000 barrels of oil.
She said the government’s investigation would ascertain the cause of the incident, and that the clean-up of the environment, which is being undertaken by various local and international experts, is expected to be completed within the next six weeks.
“We are targeting six weeks for the clean-up to be effective. You know the thing with oil is that when it spills, it spreads and for every second, it keeps spreading because the waters are not still. In any case, there will be an investigation to ascertain the cause and that will be done, of course by technical experts. It will be in the interest of the company, technical partners and in the interest of the nation,’ she said..
Mailafia, accompanied by officials of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency and others, has already inspected the deep offshore facility.
She said Shell gave an “accurate report” in terms of the quantity of crude oil spilled, which she estimated at 30,000 barrels.
Meanwhile, a SNEPCo statement has confirmed that the oil leaked from the Bonga facility continues to thin as a result of the effective use of dispersants by seaborne vessels and aircraft.
It said surveillance and aerial photos show the spill is breaking up into patches surrounded by clear water, and that it remains offshore.
‘SNEPCo has brought in experts from across the globe to Nigeria to support the response team, which is working around the clock in shifts. The company continues to engage with the local communities. Joint efforts, in close cooperation with local and national governments and industry partners, continue to combat the spill,’ it said.