CEOAFRICA gathered that Shell warned it may not meet production targets for crude exports in Nigeria after it shut down a major pipeline repeatedly hit by sabotage and theft.

In a statemen,t the Nigerian subsidiary of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant (SPDC)  said that “Force majeure has been declared on Bonny Light exports … due to production deferment from leaks observed on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP),” in Nigeria’s Ogoni land region,

Force majeure is a legal term releasing a company from contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond its control. Bonny Light is one of the main grades of crude produced in Nigeria.

“SPDC and members of the community discovered that the spill at B-Dere was caused by unknown persons who drilled holes on the line,” it said.

The TNP was shut down on Wednesday owing to leaks, reducing crude production by 150,000 barrels per day.

The pipeline had been repaired just two weeks earlier after what Shell described as a separate incident of sabotage.

Shell said the pipeline has been closed down in similar circumstances at least five times since early July.

Our source quoted SPDC boss Mutiu Sunmonu saying  “We’re dealing with a social tragedy, an environmental crisis and a sad waste of resources,” “We find it difficult to safely operate our pipelines without having to shut them frequently to prevent leaks from illegal connections impacting the environment,”.

Shell and other oil majors operating in the Niger Delta have repeatedly decried the scourge of oil theft and infrastructure sabotage, which has been estimated to cost Nigeria at least $6 billion (4.6 billion euros) per year in lost revenue.