In the more than a quarter century since Shell Plc left Ogoniland in southern Nigeria, oil has continued to ooze from dormant wellheads and active pipelines, leaving the 386-square mile kingdom’s wetlands shimmering with a greasy rainbow sheen, its once-lush mangroves coated in crude, well-water smelling of benzene and farmlands charred and barren.
Nigeria has long had issues with safety, not least in keeping workers safe from militants. The government has shown little sign of tackling the problem among legal operations, let alone the safety challenges of widespread illicit bunkering and refining.
Shell has put the sale of its Nigerian assets on hold, pending a court hearing.
Seplat Energy has reported some slow progress at pipeline projects, but with EBITDA growing at 82% year on year it is seeing a clear benefit from higher oil prices.
Shell paid $$4.48 billion to the Nigerian government in tax payments in 2020, with the West African state slipping into second place after Norway.
Shell has won its case in The Hague against Nigeria’s Esther Kiobel, with the court rejecting a link between the company and the execution of her husband.
Nigerian Gas Co. (NGC) and Nedogas Development have commissioned a gas gathering facility in Delta State to supply the OB3 trunk line.
Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC) has claimed victory over Shell at OML 11, following an Appeal Court judgement in its favour.
An attack in Nigeria’s Imo State has left seven Shell contractors dead, according to local reports.
Seplat Petroleum has ramped up production in the first quarter and has set out plans to rebrand as Seplat Energy.
Shell’s Nigerian production fell to 223,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020, with the company blaming security issues, sabotage and theft.
Shell faces another legal battle stemming from Nigeria, with a court ordering banks to freeze company assets.
Shell has filed for arbitration against Nigeria over an ongoing dispute around oil spills.
Nigerian claimants complaining that Shell had a duty to tackle oil spills have won a case in the UK Supreme Court.
Shell Petroleum Development Co. (SPDC) has sold its 30% stake in OML 17 to TNOG Oil and Gas, for $533 million.
San Leon Energy has signed a deal with Decklar Petroleum to finance the development of the Oza marginal field, in Nigeria.
The governor of Rivers State has claimed victory over Shell’s local subsidiary at OML 11.
Seplat fell to a loss in the first half of the year as oil prices roughly halved, from $65.16 per barrel in the first half of 2019 to $35.94.
McDermott has won a large engineering and procurement contract for a 12,000 barrel per day refinery in Nigeria.
Shell is heading to the UK Supreme Court today for another hearing on oil leaks in the Niger Delta.
Three international oil companies have committed to building a COVID-19 treatment centre in the Bonny local government area (LGA).