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Kristen Roy / courtesy Leigh Day & Co.
A local farmer looks on as a piece of paper dipped in a pool in the area around the Bomu-Burry pipeline is shown partially covered with oil residue in October, 2011.
A troubled Shell oil pipeline in Nigeria ruptured, spilling around hundreds of gallons of crude oil a minute for around 24 hours, a member of a nearby community told msnbc.com on Tuesday.
"I saw oil coming out from the ground, like a stream, on the pipeline," Erabanabari Kobah, who lives near the Bomu-Bonny pipeline, told msnbc.com.
"Coming from four different points that are leaking and in every one second from each of these point. (It was) not less than two liters of oil are coming out every second," Kobah said, adding that he had filmed Sunday night's leak, although msnbc.com had yet to see the footage.
A company spokesman confirmed the onshore spill on the Bomu-Bonny pipeline in Nigeria's Delta region but said the company would not release any details related to it until an ongoing investigation involving the Royal Dutch Shell-run joint venture, SPDC, Nigerian regulators and representatives of the local community was complete.
Landmark case: Nigerian villagers sue Shell over oil spills
The development could well complicate efforts for Shell, which is already facing a lawsuit for tens of millions of dollars in a London court for a leak on the same pipeline in nearby swampland.
Shell admits responsibility for two spills that devastated the Bodo fishing communities in the delta, a labyrinth of creeks and swamps.
The lawsuit, brought by 11,000 Nigerians from the Bodo community in the London High Court, concerns two oil spills in 2008/9 that they say destroyed their livelihoods and was at least 60 times worse than the company originally announced, advocacy group Amnesty International said on April 23.
Success for the claimants in the case would create a precedent that other communities affected by oil spills around the world might follow. It is being nervously watched by the oil industry.
100 miles of oil: Spill likely Nigeria’s worst in decade
Shell maintains that much of the oil spilled in the region is the result of theft and sabotage. The case against the Shell rests on the contention that operational spills have caused extensive damage and, while there may be ongoing illegal theft from pipelines in the region, Shell are responsible for cleaning up the damage and compensating rural communities who have lost the fishing and farming income.
"If this was indeed operational failure, on the same pipeline from which the Bodo 2008 spills occurred, then it demonstrates an urgent need for the integrity of this particular pipeline to be reinforced or for it simply to be replaced," said Kristen Roy, of London-based law firm Leigh Day, which is representing the 11,000 Nigerians in the U.K.
Shell no longer operates in the area following lengthy disputes with local Nigerians about pollution, but still has pipelines and other infrastructure there and says it is committed to clearing up spills, whatever the cause.
PhotoBlog: Nigerian oil industry photos reveal extremes of poverty, wealth
A United Nations report in August last year criticized Shell and the Nigerian government for contributing to 50 years of pollution in Ogoniland, which it says needs the world's largest ever oil clean-up that could take up to 30 years.
Kobah, a local environmental activist, said regardless of the outcome of the case against Shell he and others in the community wanted the company out of Nigeria.
"I was brought up in that community and I can see an unbelievable change over time," he said. "Our trees are no longer producing fruit, harvests no longer produce food, the fishing is pathetic."
"I don't think Shell should be here anymore," he said.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
Oh boy... eco-pandering at its finest... With France and Greece deciding to abdicate any semblance of fiscal accountability, and Europe on the brink of disaster, a pipeline leak is your top world story??? Somebody pleeeease turn on a television....
It would not be pandering if the oil was leaking into your water supply or in your community.
Considering all of the debates happening here regarding pipelines, it is important for people to remember that things can go wrong-and when they do, "environmental problems" refers to a lot more than hurting owls. It can impact drinking water, food supply and lively hood for people.
I am not opposed to more pipelines in the US, but we must be mindful to make sure they are as safe as possible. History has shown us that the oil companies are not going to do all they can to make things safe unless they are forced.
It is someone else's problem until it is your own food that can't be grown in contaminated ground or watersupply that is tainted. Ask people in the Gulf how important it is to make sure that all things oil related are safe.
Shell gets people murdered to drill oil. BP does it by 'accident.'
Buy your gas from Exxon and Chevron, because next to Shell and BP, they are angels.
Let's see you worry about the economy when your DRINKING WATER and ECOSYSTEM are being polluted.
derek
How soon people forget about the exxon valdez.
exxon valdez, what about the Gulf, thats a bomb waiting to go off.....where did all the millions of gallons of oil go?
Didn't forget at all.
It is a relative comparisson. Exxon didn't go out and approve of a human nobel prize winner being shot by the government. Yes, Shell did that.
Typical conservative thinking.... As long as they aren't white-bred American's, no one cares if we destroy their land and kill them. Oil spills kill people (not to mention everything else in the area).
If you don't know much about the oil industry killing people, go research what Texaco (which became Chevron) did in Ecuador.
Who built the pipe line ?????
I smell HALLIBURTON in this mess . Bet they get off Scot free on this one also.
I can read the Headlines now. "Villiagers win 5 Pretty Shells for each man, woman, and child over Oil Company Spill". The crime rate in Nigeria is so high the oil could be cleaned up by offering to give it away for free.
People doing it to themselves. 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006 and on and on.
http://articles.cnn.com/2006-05-12/world/nigeria.blast_1_pipeline-blast-nigerian-officials-oil-output?_s=PM:WORLD
I agree economykiller, oil companies don't want leaks....it wastes $. Sounds like Detroit steal everything...Real good story MSNBS
Duffy
The oil companies also do not want nor pay for MAINTENANCE ON THEIR PIPE LINES !!!!
Preventive maintenance coasts money and that kills the bottom line, period. They feel it is better to spill & kill rather than prevent . That way they can blame someone else and tie the thing up in court for years and end up paying pennies on the dollar . ( EXON VAL DIES , The gulf oil spill , the black sea oil spill and on it goes )
bob
Buy more oil from Iran and Venezuela, that way there ecosystem gets f-----------
Well said. All ecosystems, regardless how far away they are have an effect on all of us. Go back to shooting cans in the trailerpark
This is only crude oil, could you imagine how much worse it would be if it was carrying shale oil from Canada?
Shale oil has some nasty additives to thin it and it is also under pressure and heated so it can flow. If this were to leak it would be a complete and total devastation of the area around the spill and that's only if its stopped quickly.
This is why I am against the keystone pipeline #2, #1 has had 12 substantial leaks and its only a year old!!! This is a warning sign we need to take heed of.
We were in this erea just three weeks ago. We were allowed to take a close inspection reporting on the fire in the manifold in 2009. We even met the man in the picture above this article. Our finings in that are can be found in this video: rest of the findings (including the mangroves in Bodo that this article refers to) can be found on www.worsethanbad.org
" ... spilling around hundreds of gallons of crude oil a minute ..."
How many is 'around hundreds of gallons'?
Shell must have hired the locals (Obamas kinfolks) to build the pipeline.
Lets see, an underground section of pipeline not prone to damage by theft, weather, or earth quakes spilling a large volume of oil for over twenty four hours. Now tell me again how the proposed Keystone XL pipeline will not have any impact on our nations environment and is safe? How many times has the oil companies lied about the volume of oil spilled or promised us that they can do it without causing environmental damage and failed? Lies, Lies, and more Lies. What do we need to convince people we need to find a safer alternative than oil, A major leak in our living rooms? Wake up people.
Next time you read what a great thing the Keystone Pipeline will be, consider how nothing like this could happen along 1700 miles of our Heartland, your bread basket. It only happens in places like Nigeria, far from here. Oh except for the Kalamazoo river and the pristine Yellowstone River. And when it runs under the Ogallala Aquifer and millions of people have their water ruined and can no longer grow Monsanto's corn, then what? Oh, that's right, it is not in your backyard. It is in mine.
That crude oil in Nigeria is child's play compared to ultra toxic bitumen that will run through Keystone XL. Wake up America.
Shell is TOTALLY lying. The spills have been MASSIVE !!!!!
Does anyone really think the multi millioniares of any oil company cares about the average person??These companies are making BILLIONS in profit each quarter.Isn't profit what you have left after you pay your expenses??Money (lawyers) talk in any industry..
Completely love how some apologists think it is okay to poison the only home we have while rich white guys get richer polluting the locale of poor black folks, these apologists would sooner focus on how to ensure that the rich white guys who squandered our money can stay afloat while we sink... REALLY?
The faked economies of Europe where the rich aren't prospering because they over extended the poor and eventually themselves is more important clean water/air? You realize that money is just debt owed from one to the other, something that can be manipulated on a while and truly w/o consequence in the grand scheme of life? Right?
I used to believe that there were no devils in the world, but I am wrong. Rich folks who seek to get richer on the backs/lives of the poor are truly the devil.
Fed Up-2683606
You are either an idiot or delusional. If you went and saw the devastation in the region, as I have, you wouldn't make such appalling statements....
i work in the industry as a pipefitter/superintendant and any leak is negligence on the part of the owner/operator of the pipeline for the simple fact that a robotic smart pig can be sent inside the pipeline and detect any corrosion,defects in the pipe and fittings in the form of laminations in the pipe wall.x ray testing of every weld joint can and should be performed and all new piping should be hydrostactic tested up to four times the intended working pressure.i have been in the field going on 30 years and the few minor leaks that i have seen were always from people taking shortcuts.the oil companies can afford quality control and if they dont take these steps they should be held fully accountable.
And the proponents want everyone believing , It would be great to do this to the heartland of the US , just so Canada and China can maintain business . pipe Oil to a Tax duty free port in Texas then out of the country ........ No Keystone , we know how , when a spill occurs the blame game starts , and the damages get burried in the sand , or dispersed to the bottom of the gulf , How the finger pointing starts and None want to be responsible for the cleanup . I would rather hear of new refineries being built here in the US , to replace the ones being shut down . Can you imagine how vulnerable this country would be with all fuels imported ???
This is already happening in the good old USA....just go watch the movie Gasland! People living in Fracking territory are having their water supply ruined...they can light their faucets with water flowing out of them...their property rights have been abolished with eminent domain...they are fighting the pipeline in courts and losing....Cheney did an endrun on all of the regulations with the Fracking laws done behind closed doors with no input from the citizens...why isn't that illegal, and why isn't that considered to be a crime against us???
Pennsylvania is now vying for first place in NEW CANCER outbreaks. A little more fracking and they can over take Louisiana(Petrochemical) and Texas(Petrochemical and fracking fluids).
It's a SHELL GAME with all the oil companies!
Keystone pipeline WILL bring death and destruction to the U.S. and you the people will end up having NO SAY in your own destruction. When the Ogallala aquifer become polluted and 30% of the NATIONS farm land becomes useless and ALL the Midwestern states that rely on the ogallala for every drop of drinking water becomes POISON, it will be too late. The environmentalists in the country are trying to stop this destruction so you and your children won't become just another oil company statistic.
But you listen to the BS coming from Washington about all the jobs (temporary at best) this disaster will produce. But ask ONE simple question... WHY is our country being used and abused so OIL COMPANIES can ship the tar sand oil OUT of this country? OR....Why can't they build refineries in CANADA and destroy THEIR own environment???
We have about 95,000 miles of just refined product pipelines in the U.S. 30,000 to 40,000 of trunk line crude oil pipelines and 278,000+ miles of Major Gas lines, not including the 1.8 Million miles of supply lines. DO WE NEED MORE???
Take a look at southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana to find the cancer hell holes of America. Guess you can thank the Koch brothers and the oil/petrochemical corporations for that mess. 50 years of Canadian oil investments by the Koch brothers prove they will stop at NOTHING to get their pipeline...even the death of a nation.