Shell Oil Company should not be allowed to exit the onshore oil industry in the Niger Delta until it takes responsibility for the toxic legacy of pollution and the safe decommissioning of abandoned oil infrastructure, the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), a Netherlands-based investigator of multinational activities, said in the report.
The report revealed a legacy of pollution left by Shell, with petroleum-contaminated waterways and extensive land pollution impacting the lives and livelihoods of millions in the Niger Delta. Despite claims of cleanup efforts, the SOMO argued that Shell's certification process for oil spill sites is "flawed and unreliable."
"The oil giant is leaving behind petroleum-contaminated rivers and streams and large areas of polluted land that have devastated the lives and livelihoods of millions of people living in the Niger Delta. Shell claims it cleans up, but our new report [...] shows how historical pollution remains a serious issue and how Shell is trying to avoid responsibility for this despite the billions of dollars it has earned from the oil’ the center said.
The SOMO said that Shell's divestment strategy lacks accountability for the long-term effects of pollution and the safe decommissioning of infrastructure. Abandoned pipelines and oil infrastructure pose significant risks, yet the report suggested that newly created companies acquiring Shell's assets may not have the resources or intention to address these issues.
"Shell has pulled off the ultimate Houdini act. As the oil industry enters its final phase, whether that’s in the next 5 years or 25, Shell has sold its toxic assets and will not be left holding them when the music stops," the report read.
Shell has long claimed that oil theft and pipeline sabotage are responsible for much of the spill. However, the report said that this has nothing to do with its cleanup responsibilities.
"Under Nigerian law, Shell must clean up oil spills no matter the cause. It has failed to do so," the center pointed out. "Shell must not be allowed to simply walk away from this most emblematic of unjust energy transition cases."
The British company is being sued by more than 13,000 Nigerians from the communities of Ogale and Bille for pollution.
In November 2023, the UK High Court greenlighted Nigerians to sue Shell for the disastrous consequences of oil pollution in the Niger Delta. The plaintiffs are seeking justice, compensation and cleanup from the oil giant.
Shell, for its part, said that oil theft "on an industrial scale" was at the root of the pollution in the Niger Delta. The company added that the court ruled that the plaintiffs failed to identify the specific spill or spills that caused the damage.
One of the largest oil spills in Nigeria occurred in late July this year and came from the Trans-Niger Pipeline operated by Shell, the Nigeria's National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency revealed.