Shell closes oil pipeline 'due to sabotage'

An oil pipeline in Nigeria has been shut down due to the identification of a leak. The pipeline, which is run by oil and gas company Shell, had to be shut down as suspected sabotage and oil theft resulted in damage that left the pipeline leaking, according to a spokesperson from the company. 

The Nembe Creek Trunkline was closed on Sunday (February 23rd) in order to remove the areas that had been affected by the theft of crude oil and repair the damage. The pipeline is located in the Niger Delta region, which has become severely contaminated due to the high number of oil leaks from pipelines.

Sabotage and oil theft is rife in the area, meaning that extensive damage has been done to wildlife. Oil companies operating in the area often have to spend large amounts of money to repair damage that is done to the pipes, as well as suffer the loss of large amounts of oil. Shell has not disclosed how much oil was removed from the pipeline or how much leaked on this occasion.

The company said that engineers have been deployed to the area to repair the pipeline, which is linked to the Bonny exports terminal. Once the works have been completed, the pipeline will be reopened. 

It is not known how much money has been lost due to the lack of production, although local media has suggested that around 95,000 barrels of crude may have been lost for each day the pipeline has been closed.

The Nembe pipeline is often the target of sabotage and theft, which results in a large number of leaks. However, there have been arguments that Shell does not do enough to reduce the number of theft incidents or their impact on the local environment. The company had also been accused of not cleaning up spills correctly when they do occur, resulting in increased damage to the area.