Shell continued to pump oil through a pipeline in the Niger Delta for years after internal documents showed it was leaking and causing severe pollution, according to newly released evidence. The documents, obtained by campaign groups and shared with the Guardian, reveal that the company knew as early as 2006 that the Trans-Niger Pipeline was corroded and at high risk of failure. Despite this, Shell kept the pipeline operational until 2011, when it finally ruptured, spewing thousands of barrels of crude into creeks and farmland.
Local communities have long blamed Shell for devastating spills that have destroyed livelihoods and contaminated drinking water. The company has consistently argued that most spills are caused by sabotage. But the documents show that Shell’s own engineers warned of “critical” corrosion and “imminent” failure years before the major spill.
One 2008 report described the pipeline as “unfit for purpose”. Shell has not yet commented on the latest leak of documents. The revelations will intensify calls for the company to be held accountable for environmental damage in the region, where poverty and unemployment remain high despite decades of oil extraction.
For the people of the Delta, this is yet another chapter in a long story of broken promises and poisoned land.
