LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell's RDSa.L
onshore Nigeria subsidiary saw a 41% rise in the number of crude
oil spills due to theft or pipeline sabotage in 2019, the group
said in its annual report.
Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) also
recorded a rise in the volume of oil spilt in the Niger Delta as
a result of illegal activity to 2,000 tonnes in 2019 from 1,600
tonnes a year earlier.
Of a total 164 SPDC spills of more than 100 kilograms in
the delta, 157 were due to theft and sabotage, Shell said. That
compared with 111 spills due to sabotage in 2018.
SPDC is a joint venture of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), which holds a 55% stake, Shell, its
operator, with 30%, France's Total TOTF.PA with 10% and
Italy's Eni ENI.MI with 5%.
It produces around 1 million barrels of oil per day and
operates more than 6,000 kilometres of pipelines in the delta.