SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, (THEWILL) – Dutch oil giant, Shell says it is uncertain when its Forcados oil installation will reopen after members of the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers blew up a crude pipeline buried at sea in Delta State.
The attack forced Shell to shut the 250, 000 bpd terminal in February following the renewed attacks by the armed group which claims it is fighting for a Niger Delta Republic. Members of the group have so far hit at least four oil installations in Delta State.
Mr. Osagie Okunbor, Shell’s country chair, told local newspaper, The Punch that repairs of the pipeline would take sometime and that it was too premature to determine when the terminal will be reopened.
“The work is a delicate exercise that requires temporary wrapping of the damaged section of the line with a special material prior to safe evacuation of the residual crude oil currently trapped in the line.
“The damaged pipeline is in 4-6 meters of water depth in open seas and it requires damming the water to hold the sea back so that repairs can be safely done,” he said.
The wave of attacks by the group has cut Nigeria’s oil production to an estimated 1.65 million bpd from 2.2 million. Nigeria depends largely on revenue from sale of crude to finance its budget.
The military Sunday confirmed the arrest of some members of the group believed to have attacked installations belonging to Chevron.
