After an incident on the job, the Nigerian oil company Renaissance Energy said that it had halted the production of one line into the Trans Niger pipeline. This is a major oil route transporting crude oil from the onshore oilfields up to the Bonny terminal.

A group of environmental rights activists said that on Thursday, a pipeline ruptured on May 6, spilling oil into B-Dere Community in Ogoniland. This is the second incident in the last two months involving the pipeline.

The pipeline that was halted goes through B-Dere to join the Trans Niger Pipeline.

Michael Adande said that Renaissance Group Nigeria, the Nigerian oil group which owns Shell’s former onshore subsidiary, the company operating the pipeline, “immediately disconnected the pipeline and stopped production into the line”.

Adande stated that "with the cooperation of the B-Dere Community, our experts were able to access the site, clamp the pipeline, and recover spilled crude oil. Clean-up preparations are now in progress."

Renaissance confirmed that a team had investigated the incident and found it to be an operational event.

The Trans Niger Pipeline, with a daily capacity of approximately 450,000 barrels, is one of the two conduits used to export Bonny Light crude oil from Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer. Reporting by Tife Omwolabi; Writing by Chijioke Ahuocha, Editing by Kirsty Donovan

(source: Reuters)