A petrol attendant fills a car at a Total petrol station in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. French oil company Total SA said Monday it had sold its stake in an offshore oil field near Nigeria for $2.5 billion to the Chinese state-run firm Sinopec Corp., a sign of the China's growing stakes in the West African nation's oil production. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Shell: Nigeria pipeline spills caused by thieves
Published: 08:20:53 AM, Mon 04 March 2013 UTC
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell PLC says a major pipeline it has in Nigeria has come under repeated attack by thieves wanting to steal the crude oil it transports.
In a statement Monday, Shell says its Nigerian subsidiary lost some 150,000 barrels of oil a day over several days in late February after safety systems shut down its Nembe Creek Trunkline. Shell said the shutdowns came after thieves cut into the line.
Shell said its workers saw "large swathes" of water and land pollution from the oil spilled. The oil giant said it replaced this pipeline in 2010 at a cost of $1.1 billion.
A 2009 amnesty program reduced militant attacks on oil facilities, but oil theft has since increased.
Nigeria is a top supplier of crude to the U.S.
Tags:
ap, lagos, royal dutch shell, shell, royal, monday, statement, petroleum, oil, workers, nigeria, netherlands, thieves, water, barrels, oil facilities, business, crude oil, militant attacks, oil giant, shutdowns, large swathes, safety systems, oil tanker, dutch shell plc, amnesty program, ogoni people, nigerian subsidiary, major pipeline, oil theft, nembe creek trunkline, nigeria pipeline, land pollution
