Business
Oil Leak forces Shell to shutdown Nigerian oilfield
“As soon as we became aware of it, we stopped the flow of oil and mobilised our own resources, as well as industry expertise, to ensure its effects are minimized. It is important to stress that this was not a well control incident of any sort, and to make clear that no-one has been injured.
“Our focus now is on a speedy and effective clean-up.”
It said Nigerian authorities had been notified and Shell’s emergency response team had been activated.
A spokesman could not give more specific numbers on the amount of oil spilled, saying an investigation was underway.
In April, Shell had resumed production at Bonga after shutting the facility in February for maintenance. It was also hit by a militant attack in 2008.
Scores of oil spills have occurred in Nigeria, but most have been at onshore sites, particularly due to pipeline sabotage aimed at stealing crude to sell on the black market as well as militant attacks.
Activists say Shell and other companies have not done enough to prevent oil leaks at such sites.
