"Shell Oil Spill Hits Nigerian Shores, Fishing Suspended"

"ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigerian officials have suspended fishing off the southern coast after about 40,000 barrels (1.7 million gallons) of crude oil was spilled from a Shell production platform in the Bonga oil field.

The oil leaked into the Atlantic Ocean on December 20, 2011 during what the company called a "routine operation" to transfer oil to a tanker from Shell's Bonga floating production, storage and off-take vessel.

The oily sheen covered an estimated 350-square-mile area off the oil-rich Niger Delta. Shell has shut down the entire Bonga oil field, a site 75 miles off the coast that produces 200,000 barrels of oil and gas a day."

Environment News Service had the story January 2, 2012.

SEE ALSO:

"Tackling Oil Spill in Nigeria: Lessons from Bonga Field" (Lagos This Day)

"Bonga Oil Spill: We’re Yet to Clear Shell, Says Senate" (Lagos This Day)

"Shell Shuts in 70,000bpd amidst Fresh Oil Leak" (Lagos This Day)