Shell resumes lifting Bonny light crude for exports

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) lifted the Force Majeure placed on the Bonny Light about 10 days ago.

The oil super-major  confirmed at the weekend, it had lifted a force majeure on crude oil exports from Nigeria after repairing a supply pipeline that has been repeatedly sabotaged in the Niger Delta.

'SPDC has lifted the force majeure on Bonny Light exports effective noon today (Friday) following repair of recent spill points on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP),' the company said.

Force majeure is a legal term releasing a company from contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond its control. Bonny Light is one of the main grades of crude produced in Nigeria.

The force majeure was declared on October 10 as a result of spills recorded on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), which has suffered series of attack by alleged vandals in recent times..

Shell has since restored production of 150,000 barrels per day of crude shut in as a result of the incident.

'Joint investigation of the spills has now been completed and the various reports signed off by all participants,' the company said.

Shell said it regretted the spills, adding that a detailed investigation of the root cause of the pipeline failure was underway.

It also promised to compensate the affected communities: 'Arrangements for payment of compensation are being made in conjunction with people in Bunu-Tai and Nonwa-Tai, the two communities which the joint investigation confirmed were impacted by the spill,' it said.

It could be recalled that the oil multinational also on October 14 reported a fire outbreak within the SPDC JV right-of-way at Patrick Waterside, Bodo, Ogoniland  and close to the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).