"Nigerian coastal and fishing communities were on Thursday put on alert after Shell admitted to an oil spill that is likely to be the worst in the area for a decade, according to government officials."
"The company said up to 40,000 barrels of crude oil was spilled on Wednesday while it was transferred from a floating oil platform to a tanker 75 miles off the coast of the Niger delta.
All production from the Bonga field, which produces around 200,000 barrels a day, was last night suspended. "Early indications show that less than 40,000 barrels of oil have leaked in total. Spill response procedures have been initiated and emergency control and spill risk procedures are up and running," said Tony Okonedo, a Shell Nigeria spokesman.
Satellite pictures obtained by independent monitors Skytruth suggested that the spill was 70km-long and was spread over 923 square kilometers (356 sq miles)."
John Vidal reports for the Guardian December 22, 2011.
SEE ALSO:
"Shell Oil Spill Approaches Nigerian Coast" (Green/NYT)
"Shell Oil Spill Off Nigeria, Now Approaching Shore, Likely Worst in Decade for Nation" (AP)
"Shell Shutting Nigerian Oil Platform After Leak" (Reuters)
"Shell Oil Messes Off Two Coasts" (Mother Jones)
http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/12/huge-shell-oil-spill-nigeria
"SkyTruth Satellite Image Shows Large Slick From Shell Oil Spill off Nigeria" (Skytruth)
"Spill Reported At Shell Gulf Of Mexico Drill Site" (Reuters)
"Spill Delays Appomattox Drilling 'a Few Weeks': Shell" (Reuters)
"Shell Spills 13,000 Gallons of Drilling Fluids Near Deepwater Horizon Site" (Climate Progress)
"Shell Spill Reported In Gulf" (upstreamonlime.com)
"Russia’s Arctic Oil Projects Under Scrutiny After Tragic Sinking of Floating Rig" (AP)
"Chevron, Transocean Face Brazil Indictment Over Oil Leak" (Bloomberg)
"Shell Spill 200 Tonnes of Oil Into North Sea - and UK Govt Press Cover It Up" (RT/TV-Novosti on You Tube 8/16/11)
"North Sea Oil Spill 'Worst for a Decade'" (Guardian8/15/11)
"North Sea Oil Spill Risk 'unacceptably High', Claims European Commission" (Guardian)
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