Nigeria oil leak forces production shutdown

Nigeria oil leak forces production shutdown

2011-12-24 00:14:52 GMT+7 (ICT)

ABUJA, NIGERIA (BNO NEWS) -- An oil leakage at the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company's (SNEPCo) Bonga field off the coast of Nigeria has forced company officials to shut down production, officials said on Friday.

SNEPCo said it first discovered the oil leak on Tuesday and as a result shut down production from its deepwater asset, Bonga field, which is located about 120 kilometers (74 miles) off the Nigerian coast and has a capacity production rate of 200,000 barrels per day.

Shell's Corporate Media Relations Manager Tony Okonedo said a remotely operated vehicle allowed officials to confirm that a leak occurred in a flexible export line which links the Floating Production Storage and Offtake Vessel to the tanker. Shell said it isolated this line on Tuesday, and the facility remains shut down.

Meanwhile, Shell's country chair in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, said the sheen had thinned considerably due to a combination of natural factors and dispersant application. The sheen was breaking up in some places, which should aid further dissipation.

Sunmonu also said that personnel have been able to identify the source of the leak as a failure in a flexible export line, although it was not immediately clear when production might resume.

The oil leak is already being compared to Exxon Mobil Corp.'s Idoho platform leak, which occurred in January 1998 and dumped approximately 40,000 barrels into the sea.

Five ships have been deployed to apply dispersant and maintain constant surveillance, and will be supported on Friday by two aircraft, including one of which was in the field Thursday on spill surveillance duty. More equipment and vessels are being mobilized, as well as additional oil spill response experts and marine life experts to assist in the overall effort.

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