Nigeria suffered 361 oil spill incidents in 2020 and January this year, according to data obtained on Tuesday from the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).
This volume of crude oil lost during this period amounted to a loss of 19,079.82 barrels of crude oil.
It also led to the destruction of farms, pollution of water and total stoppage of the means of livelihood of people living in the host communities in the Niger Delta region.
Using average crude oil price of $45 per barrel for last year and average exchange rate of N380 to a dollar, the loss of 19,079.82 barrels of crude oil translated to a loss of $858,591.9 or naira equivalent of N326.26 million.
READ ALSO: Court Orders Shell To Pay Compensation To Nigerian Farmers
In the oil spill by company category, NOSDRA data showed that Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) recorded the highest volume of oil spill and incidents in 2020 and January this year, with 9,810.77 barrels of crude oil spilled in 169 incidents.
Eroton Exploration and Production Limited followed with 4,608.57 barrels of crude oil spilled in 24 incidents and the ND Western which recorded 10 incidents and 1,490.01 barrels of soiled crude oil.
National Petroleum Development Company (NDPC) followed with 1,037.54 barrels of spilled crude oil in eight incidents; Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) followed with 693.38 barrels of spilled crude oil in 35 incidents.
Aiteo Exploration and Production in five incidents, recorded 430 barrels of oil spills.
Total Exploration and Production Nigeria, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Limited and Addax Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited spilled 43.3 barrels of crude oil in five incidents, 95.15 barrels of crude oil in 21 incidents and 0.02 barrels of crude oil in two incidents, respectively.
In addition, Mobil Producing Unlimited recorded four oil spill incidents with less than a barrel of crude oil spilled, while Chevron Nigeria Limited recorded nine incidents with 2.11 barrels of spilled crude oil.
Heritage Energy Operational Service Limited recorded 20 incidents in which a total of 279.7 barrels of crude spilled into the surrounding environment.
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After 13 years of legal battle, farmers in the Niger Delta region received a court judgement in their favour against Shell Nigerian for widespread pollution on their land.
An appeal court in The Hague passed a judgment compelling Shell’s Nigerian branch to settle famers affected by oil spillage that its exploration activities caused.
It also held the Anglo-Dutch parent company, Royal Dutch Shell, be liable for installing new pipeline equipment to prevent further devastating spills in the Niger Delta region.
The amount of damages would be determined later, it said. It did not specify how much the four farmers would receive as compensation.
The plaintiffs consisting of four Nigerian farmers first sued shell in 2008 over pollution in their villages Goi, Oruma and Ikot Ada Udo, in southeastern Nigeria, in a case backed by the Netherlands arm of environment group Friends of the Earth.
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