Bayelsa: Residents ask Shell for remediation over ruptured pipeline

Residents of Ikarama community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State are asking Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) for remediation as its ruptured pipeline continues to spill crude on the environment.

The 14-inch Okordia-Rumuekpe pipeline, part of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) was ruptured on April 7, 2021 with adverse impact on the ecosystem.

A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) report said the leak was caused by equipment failure and about 213 barrels spewed into the environment with approximately 110 barrels polluting 1.34 hectares of land.

Residents near the spill site said that they have suffered untold hardship from the pollution of land, air and lakes due to the evaporation of the leaked crude by the scorching sun.

Education Ikiowori, who works at the Ikarama oilfields and witnessed the JIV, said the spill was as a result of corrosion saying, “They all saw that the rupture was caused by corrosion, yet Shell disagreed.

“Normally SPDC, when they come, even if the spill was caused by corrosion, they would try to influence it in their favour by saying it was caused by third party so as to avoid responsibility to the landowners.

“For this one, thank God that it was very obvious that it was equipment failure, as the government representatives and regulators and all who were here confirmed it,” he said.

Washington Odoyibo said that residents have been experiencing the antics of Shell attributing every spill incident to sabotage times without number.

“When the spill occurred at this place in November 2019, during the flood, Shell came here and turned it to sabotage.

“This pipeline is over 40 years. I was a child when they laid this pipe here, but they refused to replace it and it is failing every now and then,” Odoyibo said.

The community leader also dismissed the claim by SPDC that the 213 barrels have no impact on the environment and wondered if the environment where the 213 barrels of crude leaked into was isolated from the area.

He explained that due to the high intensity of the sun, the leaked crude evaporates into the air and causes choking sensation that has triggered cough and respiratory difficulties amongst the people.

He said the people of Ikarama were in dire need of medical intervention and relief materials following the pollution of air, water and land as well as relief materials.

“When our people inhale this crude oil, in a short while one can come down with cough. This crude oil can give different kinds of sickness; cough, running nose and so on.

“So, this thing is affecting us. Besides that, if we go inside this our swamp here; you would see different kinds of fishes dead because of this spill. Fish ponds have been destroyed’’ he added.

SPDC’s media relations manager, Bamidele Odugbesan, who confirmed the leakage, said a statement would be issued on steps so far taken to mitigate the pollution.