As a mode of oil transportation, petroleum pipelines traverse the landscape of nigerias niger delta region and utilize vast tracts of land whose original ecosystem has been altered. Activists call this the worlds worst oil catastrophe. Pdf oil spill problems and management in the niger delta. All of these spills have had a devastating impact on the agriculture, environments and general wellbeing of the local communities. Identifying the main factors affecting the effectiveness of management systems to reduce oil spills in the region. Today, there are about 606 oil fields in the niger delta, of which 360 are onshore and 246 offshore. Every year hundreds damage the environment and devastate the lives of people living there. Petroleum pipelines, spillages and the environment of the. Their operators have abandoned them and left them here to rot. The objectives are to determine the quantity of oil spilled from pipelines, the area of coverage and to assess the effects of oil spillage on the people, soil and water. The niger delta region is the oil producing area of nigeria, which consists of highly diverse ecosystems that are supportive of numerous. A undp report states that there have been a total of 6,817 oil spills between 1976 and 2001. Oil spillage is one of the greatest environmental problems, nigeria is currently battling with especially in the niger delta region. Oil spillage and heavy metals toxicity risk in the niger delta, nigeria.
However, ebegbulem, ekpe 7 points that oil spillages in the unique niger delta states have caused extensive social underdevelopment which engrosses lack of social amenities, physical infrastructure, piped water, schools, hospitals, and employment opportunities, despite the huge benefit of the crude oil product with or without oil spills on the nigerian national economy 7. Effects of oil spills on fish production in the niger delta. Oil pollution and water quality in the niger delta. Proffering suitable management systems and providing recommendations to improve the management of oil spillage in the niger delta region. Environmental impacts of oil exploration and exploitation. Hundreds of square kilometers have been contaminated.
The main sources of oil spill on the niger delta are. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. For decades oil spills have been damaging the environment and devastating lives in this part of nigeria. Oteh and okpo 2012 gave account of oil spills in the niger delta in the past fifty years at an average 1. Previous reports indicate that about 50% of oil spills in the niger delta result from pipeline corrosion and tanker accidents. Niger delta oil spill cleanup launched but could take quarter of a century read more crucially, oil spills that occurred while the mother was still pregnant had no effect on child or neonatal. The niger delta suffers from an epidemic of oil spills. Many oil companies, including international oil companies, iocs.
In 1956, royal dutch shell discovered crude oil at oloibiri, a village in the niger delta, and commercial production began in 1958. Effects of oil spills on fish production in the niger delta plos. According to 6, over 6000 spills had been recorded in the 40 years of oil exploitation in nigeria, with an average of 150 spills per annum. Oil spillage is a form of pollution, which involves the release of a liquid petroleum into the environment due to human activity. Farmers sue shell over oil spills in niger delta, sarah arnott, independent uk, 3 dec 2009. Shell lawsuit re oil pollution in nigeria the plaintiffs filed three separate lawsuits, each one addressing the impact of oil spillages in the three villages oruma, goi and ikot ada udo. Oil spills lead to increased newborn mortality in the niger delta. Irrespective of cause, the spdc jv cleans up and remediates areas affected by spills originating from its facilities. Oil spills in the niger delta extent of the problem.
Recent oil spills in delta and bayelsa states, nigeria three oil spills have been reported in the press in august and september 2016. National oil spill, detection and response agency nosdra alerted with a recent aid through data acquisition in monitoring of oil spill from january 20 to september 2014 reveals that there were 1,930 oil spill incidents in the core niger delta are primarily offshore incidence in wetlands. Socioeconomic implications and environmental effects of. The niger delta is africas most important oilproducing region, and one of the most polluted places on earth. The niger delta region is continuously exposed to a higher rate of oil spills, and. Oil spillage in niger delta region of nigeria has been on an increase and almost on a regular basis. Indeed, it is one of the most significant environmental problems facing niger delta nigeria. The exploitation of oil in the niger delta region has brought to bear oil spillage and its numerous effects.
The oil spills in the niger delta also have negative implications on local human health. Pdf oil spillage in the nigerdelta region of nigeria. Oil spills might take several months or even years to clean up. The niger delta is the most important oil producing region in africa, with its oil providing 70 per cent of nigerias government revenue. Impacts and effects of oil spillage in niger delta nigeria. Shell nigeria is the common name for royal dutch shells nigerian operations carried out through four subsidiariesprimarily shell petroleum development company of nigeria limited spdc. The state of the niger delta oil spill the borgen project. This paper examines the environmental impact of oil spillage and degradation in the niger delta region of nigeria.
Oil spill can be caused by natural seepage, especially in the ocean, as tectonic plates shift, they may release oil from reserves trapped deep such as drilling beneath the ocean floor. Big oil spills are common in the niger delta where over 40 million liters of crude oil is spilled annually, resulting in human deaths and damage to the local ecosystem. Oil spill problems and management in the niger delta. The management of oil spillage in the niger delta region of nigeria a dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of msc environmental management. Between 1976 and 1996, a total of 4647 incidents resulted in the spilling of approximately 2,369,470 barrels of oil into the environment. This study examined the effects of oil spillage on the socioeconomic activities of the people and the environment in some communities in the niger delta. Researchers from a swiss university have found that neonatal mortality rises if a childs mother lives close to. Constant oil spills and gas blowouts from these pipelines constitute health hazards for both the people and the environment. Estimates put spill volumes in the niger delta among the worst on the planet, but they do not include the crude oil from waste water and gas flares. The niger delta region is the oil producing area of nigeria, which consists of highly diverse ecosystems that are supportive of numerous species of terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora. The niger delta is one of the most polluted places on earth. Oil spillage and heavy metals toxicity risk in the niger. Corrosion of pipes and tanks also accounts for such a high percentage of all spills due to the small size of the oilfields in the niger delta.
Around 6,000 kilometers of oil pipelines run through the niger delta and the vast majority of them are antiquated. This research aims to investigate the causes and impacts of oil spill in the niger delta region of nigeria and to identify the suitable management systems for the control of oil spillage so as to reduce oil spills in the niger delta region of nigeria. Neither the powerful actors in the oil industry, nor the nigerian government, have yet been able to put into practice lasting solutions that prevent the spills, and then clean them up effectively. A primary cause of this is the effect crude oil spills have on crops in the given area. Management of oil spillage in the niger delta region of.
Oil spill is a common fallout of oil exploitation and exploitation in the niger delta region, with an estimated total of over 7000 oil spill incidents reported over a 50year period. It will enlighten and sensitize relevant authorities on the problem within the niger delta region of nigeria with recommendations that would be made arising from the study, which will help policy makers on future plans. Evaluation of the impacts of oil spill disaster on communities and. Oil spills records obtained from the department of petroleum resources dpr showed that between 1976. However, alongside the legitimate trade in the delta s oil products, there is a lucrative and organised illicit oil trade that reportedly loses nigeria 200,000 barrels of oil every day. Resource conflicts are prevalent in the niger delta, where oil exploration and extraction have had devastating impacts on the natural environment. Evaluation of the impacts of oil spill disaster on communities and its influence on restiveness in niger delta, nigeria. Crude oil spills endanger fish hatcheries in coastal water and also contaminate valuable fish. Oil spill problems and management in the niger delta cdn. The largest contributor to the oil spill total, is the rupturing or leaking of production infrastructures that are described as very old and lack regular inspection and maintenance. Negligence in the niger delta amnesty international. Environmental degradation caused by oil spills and gas flaring has drastically reduced the viability of agriculture and fishing, once.
Oil spills occur naturally by natural disaster, movement of tectonic plates and also as a result of inadequate trap system. Oil spills due to crude oil theft and sabotage of facilities, as well as illegal refining cause the most environmental damage from oil and gas operations in the niger delta. Recent oil spills in delta and bayelsa states, nigeria sdn. The impunity of oil operations in the niger delta is exemplified by the fact that shell operations in nigeria that accounts for just 14% of its oil production worldwide, accounts for a staggering 40% of its oil spills worldwide gilbert, 2010. The coastal area of the niger delta is the home to oil explorations and exploitations in nigeria. Shell lawsuit re oil pollution in nigeria business. This study examines the effects of oil spills on fish production in the niger delta of nigeria from 19812015. A key priority for shell is to achieve the goal of no. The scale of the spill is likened to the exxon valdez 1989 disaster in alaska, where 10 million gallons of oil destroyed the remote coastline. Royal dutch shells joint ventures account for more than 21% of nigerias total petroleum production629,000 barrels per day 100,000 m 3 d bpd in 2009 from more than eighty fields. Causes and terrain of oil spillage in niger delta region of.
Major new inquiry into oil spills in nigerias niger delta. To attain the above stated aim, the objectives stated below will be achieved. The state of the niger delta oil spill the niger delta, spanning 70,000 square kilometers equivalent to 7. Sources of oil spillage on the niger delta oil spill incidents have occurred at different times along the nigerian coast. If oil spills continue at this rate entire species will become extinct and the entire nigerian fishing industry will be decimated. Evaluation of the impacts of oil spill disaster on. For example, the bodo oil spills in the niger delta region in 2008 which was caused by operational problems recorded about 4,000 barrels of oil spill a day for 10 weeks. There are indications that oil spillage, occasioned by sabotage and other factors have dropped in the niger delta by 27. Pdf the coastal area of the niger delta is the home to oil explorations and exploitations in nigeria. Oil communities have been at the receiving end of this environmental problem. Military involvement in oil theft in the niger delta. In the period 1976 1996, 647 incidents occurred resulting in the spillage of 2,369,407. The human health implications of crude oil spills in the.
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