Page 10 - DMEA Week 36 2022

DMEA PIPELINES DMEA

SPDC to investigate oil spill in Bayelsa

AFRICA SHELL Petroleum Development Corp. (SPDC)
revealed on September 5 that it was investigat-
ing an oil spill that reportedly occurred late last
month as a result of problems with one of its flow
stations in Bayelsa State.
Mike Adande, a spokesman for the joint ven-
ture, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
that SPDC was aware of the spell, which took
place on August 24. NAN had said on that day
that SPDC’s Diebu Creek flow station, located
near the Ogboinbiri community in the South-
ern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa,
had discharged an unknown amount of crude
oil because of operational difficulties.
The spill is reported to have had a signifi-
cant impact on Peremabiri, a community in
the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area that
lies downstream from Ogboinbiri. Residents of
Peremabiri have reported that the spilled oil is Archive photo of spill at Diebu Creek flow station in 2014 (Photo: Shell)
polluting farmlands and swamps, as well as the
Nun River. CEO of Nigerian National Petroleum Co. Ltd
Adande did not comment on the cause or (NNPC Ltd), reported that nearly all of the oil
extent of the spill. However, he did stress that production slated for transport through the
SPDC was working to determine the cause of Bonny hub in the southern part of the country
the spill and hinted that the joint venture sus- was being stolen. Speaking to a joint session of
pected that oil theft, which is common in the Parliament in Abuja, he reported that pipelines
Niger River Delta region, had played a role in leading to the Bonny hub were regularly being
the incident. drained of 95% of their contents by thieves who
“We are working with regulators and the local direct it to illegal refineries, a practice known
community to investigate the reported incident,” locally as bunkering.
he said. “The Diebu Creek [flow station also] “I can tell you in one line, [in] just less than
stopped injection into the Trans Niger Pipe- 200 km, we had 295 illegal connections,” he said.
line (TNP) on February 25, owing to constant Kyari also reported that NNPC Ltd was
breaches of the TNP by crude oil thieves. The working with Nigerian authorities to seize the
TNP is currently undergoing tests with water fuel produced in bunkering operations, as well
main flushing.” as dispose of the assets held by illegal refiners.
Return Koma, the chairman of the Perema- “As a result of those activities, we have so far
biri Community Development Committee, told with the Nigerian army and other agencies of
NAN on September 5 that SPDC had arranged government in the security network recovered
to make a joint investigative visit (JIV) to the 35.8mn litres of crude, 22mn litres of diesel,
flow station and other affected sites later that 0.15mn litres of premium motor spirit [gaso-
day. The joint venture will work with the com- line] and 0.76mn litres of kerosene,” he stated.
mittee to determine the cause of the spill, the “Eleven vessels have been arrested, 30 speed
amount of oil spilled and the extent of the area boats, 179 wooden boats and 37 trucks. What we
affected, he said. do now [is that] we don’t arrest them. We burn
SPDC’s announcement of the investigation them so that they won’t come back to business
came just a few days after Mele Kyari, the group again.”. ™

REFINING & FUELS
Italy receives first cargo of Kuwaiti ULSD

MIDDLE EAST KUWAIT Petroleum International (KPI), a diesel (ULSD) fuel to Italy.
downstream subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum In a statement, KPI reported that the ship-
Corp. (KPC), announced on September 1 that it ment had reached its petroleum product storage
had delivered its first batch of ultra-low-sulphur depot in Naples

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 36 08•September•2022