Unknown Militants Attack Shell Pipeline In Niger Delta

No one has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Shell pipeline in the early morning hours in the Niger Delta region on Sunday.

The attack came at about 1:00 AM local time on the Trans Ramos Pipeline near Odimodi—a pipeline owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company.

According to resident Godspower Gbenekama, residents heard a loud explosion and found an oil spill. There have been no reports of any injuries in the incident.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that this was not the first time militants had hit the pipeline, stating: "Precisely on the 22nd of this month, there was a failed attempt to attack the same facility, hence we were expecting that security in the area would have been tightened, but we are really disappointed that they succeeded this time."

By sunrise on Sunday, surveillance crews had located the point of the blast. Shell announced on Monday that it would investigate the incident on the pipeline, which has been shut down since February due to a leak in the Forcados export line.

While no group has stepped forward to take credit for the attack, the Niger Delta Avengers have said they are responsible for a number of other attacks in the area. The Avengers want major oil companies to leave the country, and holds those companies responsible for adding to the poverty of the region and the under-development there.

Militants have been responsible for attacks on oil and gas facilities in the areas over the last few months. As a result, Nigeria’s crude oil production has dropped from 2.2 million barrels of oil per day to approximately 700,000 per day since the start of the year.

Lincoln Brown for Oilprice.com

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