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Tuesday, 02 December, 2008 02:11 am
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| Artificial Oil/Condensate Spills and their Impact on the Environment |
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| Friday, 14 December 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||
     However, it is rather unfortunate that man in his bid to ensure a modern life, has caused for himself and others around him, problems that are detrimental to the state of his environment, with crude oil and condensate spills, that has now become a nightmare for all at large. Spills are basically caused by two major factors. The first which is Equipment failure(s), can be described as spills that occur as a result of aged pipelines and manifolds. The fact is, these pipelines that are used by the oil and gas industries do have a specific life-span, but negligently, these pipelines are not replaced by the said oil/gas companies after they must have served their durability and thereby making them vulnerable or liable to burst, especially when the pressure of mineral products passing through them are high. This is one problem that is plagueing industries in the oil and gas sector, that is, replacing these expired pipelines, some of which have not been replaced for close to 30 years and more. But yet, are still being used to transfer petroleum and gas products. The second aspect, which can be described as a thorn in the flesh and a constant headache for both the state and Federal Government and also the oil/gas multinationals, is the man-made caused spills. This is the deliberate attempt to cut/drill holes on product pipelines in order to siphon crude oil/condensate and in the process, cause spills and fire outbreaks or just deliberately cut the pipelines to cause spills. Out of sheer greed, the people in the local communities connive and collude with crude oil/condensate bunkerers to siphon these mineral products by any means possible. The fact is, it is not possible for total strangers to invade pipelines (usually running through the communities) at night mostly to engage in these wicked clandestine activities. These illegal bunkering activities have created a lot of losses in oil and gas revenue and also, the loss of lives, like the Jesse fire outbreak that claimed close to 3,000 lives. Another reason for pipeline vandalization is to draw the attention of government and especially oil/gas multinational companies and demand for compensation. They feel this is the only way they can lay claims for oil/gas multinationals to provide relief materials and compensation, as a result of their exploration activities in the region. With claims that such activities of the oil/gas companies have damaged their environment and means of livelihood, like fishing and agriculture, which are their mainstay. Again, the locals use this means to create jobs for themselves. For instance, if oil/gas companies like Shell (SPDC), wants to clean these crude oil or condensate spills, they will have to engage the services of community contractors who in turn employ local hands to clean the environment. However, because of the increasing spills, SPDC had to adopt the strategy of using outside contractors, that is, contractors that are not from the local area where the spills have taken place. It is only when the spills are caused by equipment failure, that the surrounding community contractors are used to clean the spills. But there is a clause to the whole arrangement, for instance when outside or foreign contractors are engaged by SPDC to clean the spills, the contractors are left with no choice but to engage the community locals and these locals, dictate to the contractors how much they are going to be paid and the number of workers that should be employed. And most times, the communities that cause these spills in the first place, allow it to spread/affect a wide coverage area so as to extend the duration of contract, where they will stand a chance of getting paid while it last. So, one way or the other, the locals are employed by SPDC. But is this the way to gain employment? Should we seek to get jobs at the detriment of our environment? It is rather painful and a pathetic situation, that someone will deliberately and consciously damage his own environment in order to get peanuts, ephemeral items out of greed, without any iota of consideration of the negative impacts such acts will bring or cause to his environment and health. They mutilate and self-inflict themselves all in the name of trying to make quick money. And it is rather unfortunate that community leaders are seriously involved in these acts. Apart from using youths to achieve their selfish desires, the barges of illegal bunkerers, carrying crude oil or condensate along the creeks of these communities are expected to settle or pay some money to these community heads and youth leaders, to allow a free passage. Like the Utorogu/Ughelli Pumping Station (UPS) trunkline (16 inches pipeline), which we championed the advocacy for its replacement, considering the fact that it was laid in the early 1960s, because of its constant leakages (as a result of old age), that was finally replaced with new pipes in 2005 by Shell (SPDC), after conducting a thorough Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). But within a span of two (2) years (2005/2007), there have cases of over 48 holes (which have been clamped by SPDC) caused by illegal bunkerers and others, yet to be discovered along the Utorogu/UPS pipeline. One unfortunate thing about these vandalization, is that whenever these pipelines are vandalized, the Utorogu Gas Plant that supplies gas to power stations, will have to be shut down. Recently there was a report in one of the nation's newspapers about a looming nation wide blackout (during the yuletide season) as a result of inadequate gas supply to thermal power stations of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), which has been cut off by the activities of vandals. This latest development has effectively reduced power generation by 1,150MW, leaving the national grid to dispense nothing less than 2,000MW across competing demand centres in the country. The activities of condensate bunkerers had created repeated fire incidents on the 16 inches Utorogu/UPS trunkline especially at the outskirts of Otor-Edo and Ughevwughe Communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. The consequence of this shut down is a short fall of some 300 million standard cubic feet (scf) of gas to the national supply grid and a consequent power outage across the country owing to the inability of power generating plants to function optimally. Before now, because of the increasing problems of pipeline vandalization, Shell introduced the Community And Shell Together (CAST) initiative in the West, which involves using the community locals (that are familiar with the terrain) to monitor the Utorogu/UPS pipeline. The Surveillance CAST initiative is to checkmate the activities of illegal condensate bunkerers, with the help of the Joint Task Force (JTF). Though this very good CAST initiative has helped a lot, but would have performed more effectively and efficiently, if reports delivered to the relevant Nigerian security operatives are taken seriously and treated urgently. The Nigerian factor is also not helping the already bad and complicated situation, especially where the people that are supposed to be of help and assistance, by virtue of their positions, are now the ones orchestrating and aiding these illegal condensate bunkering activities. We have heard of instances where Presidents, Generals or Chairmen of Communities where these condensate pipelines pass through engage in the very act of illegal condensate bunkering, as chief bunkerers. The very same set of people, go around, raise dust and make so much noise about SPDC spills and degradation of the environment. Some years back, a story was told about a lawyer in one of the villages in Ughelli South, who sponsored some youths to pour black substances that looked like crude oil in a particular area near an SPDC well location and then turned around to claim for damages and compensation from SPDC. But unknown to him, the area in question was a dead-well and therefore cannot be producing crude oil, not to mention causing a spill, it was Shell's investigations that exposed this criminality. However, the unfortunate thing is that, black substances used by the lawyer have caused a serious damage to the environment. We ask, must we use our own hands to destroy ourselves and the environment, just because we want to get money? Should we carry out these activities, oblivious of their repercussions and consequences, just to satisfy self? Apart from causing injurious activities on the physical environment, through illegal crude oil and condensate bunkering, and pipelines and manifolds vandalization, which ultimately results to spills (with regards to the spills caused by oil/gas companies due to equipment failure, corrosion or human error), there is also the aspect of restiveness in the region, caused by militants and the misappropriation of public funds by our leaders in public offices. All these prevailing circumstances will make it very difficult, if not impossible, for the Niger Delta region to have sustainable development which will ultimately affect the whole country negatively. The bottom line is that we are the architects of our own misfortune, aggravating our already sub-human environment, making life more unbearable for our people, children and future generations, because of our greed, selfish aggrandizement and quest for quick wealth that will never last long or used for anything tangible. In as much as the government and oil/gas multinationals have their own faults, much of the problems confronting us today in the Niger Delta region, are caused by our own brothers and sisters. Let us turn a new leaf, if we must make progress, if not for anything, let it be for posterity sake. This is our stand. Zik Gbemre National Coordinator NIGER-DELTA PEACE COALITION  Quote this article on your site | Print | E-mail
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