Renaissance Energy has halted production on one line feeding into Nigeria’s Trans Niger Pipeline after an operational incident, the company confirmed Friday.
The affected line, which passes through the B-Dere community in Ogoniland, was shut down following a spill earlier this month. The Trans Niger Pipeline is a vital conduit transporting crude to the Bonny export terminal.
The environmental rights group that reported the incident said the pipeline burst on May 6, contaminating the B-Dere area. It marks the second spill involving the pipeline in just two months.
Renaissance Energy, part of the consortium that took over Shell’s former onshore subsidiary, acted swiftly to contain the damage. “We immediately isolated the pipeline and halted production into the line,” said company spokesperson Michael Adande.
Technicians, with cooperation from the local community, accessed the site, clamped the breach, and recovered spilled crude. Clean-up operations are now being prepared, according to Adande.
A team of investigators has since confirmed the cause of the leak as operational rather than sabotage or vandalism.
The Trans Niger Pipeline, capable of transporting around 450,000 barrels of oil per day, is one of two key channels for exporting Nigeria’s Bonny Light crude.
This latest incident raises fresh concerns over infrastructure safety in the country’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.