According to reports, Shell and Eni’s significant oil pollution will cost $21 billion to clean up. According to reports, the oil spill has lasted for almost 12 years.
Oil giants in Nigeria have long been the target of legal action about Niger Delta spills, which they attribute primarily to pipeline sabotage, vandalism, and illegal refining.
According to Reuters, the Bayelsa State Oil and Environmental Commission stated in a report that it began an inquiry into the effects of spills in 2019 and examined evidence from forensic experts, blood samples from people in affected areas, and company data.
The inquiry found, among other things, that harmful chemicals from spills and gas flaring were found in samples of soil, water, air, and the blood of local residents several times higher than the safe limits, according to the commission.
“The report finds failures of strategy, prevention, response, and remediation by oil companies,” it stated.
A representative for Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited was quoted by Reuters as saying the oil company was not aware of the final report and was unable to comment.
An Eni spokesperson claimed that theft to supply clandestine refineries, illegal exports, and sabotage were to blame for the oil spills, but the corporation committed to cleaning up all incidents.
“Eni conducts its activities in accordance with the sector’s international environmental best practices, without any distinction on a country basis.” The majority of the gas produced by Eni’s Nigerian subsidiary was turned into LNG and supplied to local power plants.
According to the commission’s study, oil company-led clean-ups were frequently poorly handled and might further contaminate soil and groundwater. Toxins that cause burns, lung difficulties, and the risk of cancer were pervasive.
