The major oil operator in Nigeria, Shell, has shut down two
key supply pipelines in Nigeria because of leaks and sabotage and declared a
'Force Majeure' on crude oil exports.
In a statement, Shell’s subsidiary in Nigeria SPDC said the
force majeure became effective from Thursday “following the shutdown of both
the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL).”
The two pipelines take crude to the Bonny Light exports
terminal, one of Nigeria’s main oil terminals. The company said a leak was
reported on the TNP at Oloma in southern Rivers state, “while the NCTL is shut
down for the removal of crude theft points.”
Shell said it was working to repair and reopen the two key
pipelines as quickly as possible. 'Force majeure' is a legal term releasing a
company from contractual obligations when faced with circumstances beyond its
control.
The Anglo-Dutch oil giant, did not disclose the volume of
output affected by the incident. The company has blamed repeated oil thefts and
sabotage of key pipelines as the major cause of spills and pollution in the
oil-producing region.
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