We’re Monitoring Response To Shell’s Oil Spill In Bayelsa – NOSDRA

National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) said it is monitoring the ongoing response and continuously evaluating the crude oil spill from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) 16” Nun River-Kolo creek pipeline at Obololi community in Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State.

The Director General/Chief Executive of NOSDRA, Engr Chukwuemeka Woke who stated this in Abuja said the agency was monitoring the situation to ensure that appropriate response actions were deployed accordingly.

Woke stated that the agency will provide further details as events unfold, saying it had met convened and held a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the incident area last week.

According to him, it was observed that the cause of the spill was unknown because the suspected leak point/pipeline is submerged in the water implying that the JIV is inconclusive.

The NOSDRA boss said SPDC was preparing a coffer dam to enable the team get access to the spill point, containment of the spill area had been completed and temporary storage tanks were in transit to the spill location while recovery of free phase oil was to commence on Friday.

“The Agency received a report on Monday, February 17, 2025 of a crude oil spill from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) 16” Nun River-Kolo creek pipeline at Obololi community in Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State.

“Following the receipt of the report as the lead Agency on all matters related to oil spill incidents in Nigeria, the Agency convened and held a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to the incident area on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

“The JIV was led by the Agency, and the investigation team comprised relevant stakeholders including SPDC (the operator), the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment, and the community to establish the indices around the incident and recommend necessary regulatory compliance actions to mitigate it,” Woke stated.