British energy giant Shell is facing renewed scrutiny after internal company documents reportedly revealed that it continued operating a major oil pipeline in Nigeria for years despite concerns from its own officials about the environmental risks associated with repeated oil theft, pipeline breaches and pollution in the Niger Delta.
The documents, obtained as part of an ongoing legal case in the United Kingdom, suggest that Shell executives were aware of the growing dangers linked to the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, one of the company’s largest oil pipelines in Nigeria, but allowed operations to continue while weighing the challenges posed by large-scale oil theft and security threats in the region.
The revelations emerged during a lawsuit filed by communities in the Niger Delta, including residents of Bille, who are seeking compensation and environmental remediation for pollution they say devastated their environment, livelihoods and public health.
According to the legal action, the communities are demanding approximately $1 billion in damages and cleanup costs, including $250 million in compensation and $750 million for environmental restoration.
Residents of Bille said years of oil spills have severely affected fishing activities, destroyed mangrove forests and contaminated waterways that once served as a source of food and income.
One resident, Balafama Augustus Bruce, said:
“Before 2011, here was a beautiful area. People play here and go into the river. We used to fish around here. But because of the damage [the spills] have caused, nobody is fishing here again.
“Because of that I’ve become poor. I eat from hand to mouth.”
The Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which stretches roughly 96 kilometres and transports crude oil from inland fields to export facilities, was reportedly capable of moving up to 150,000 barrels of oil daily before it was sold by Shell in 2025.
Internal records cited in the case indicate that as far back as 2008, some senior company officials expressed concern about continuing operations on the pipeline under conditions they considered risky.
In one email exchange, former Shell executive Markus Droll reportedly warned:
“If there is another massive explosive attack tomorrow… then we could well find ourselves in the situation of simply having to close the production down.”
He further stated:
“I don’t agree that funding can be an issue.
“Sorry if I sound like a broken record on this – but the approach makes me – as your Technical VP – pretty uncomfortable.”
The documents also suggest that by 2012, sections of the pipeline had been classified as high-risk due to extensive illegal tapping by oil thieves. Despite internal concerns, company officials reportedly chose to continue operations, arguing that shutting down the system could worsen illegal activities elsewhere.
Another document from 2013 reportedly raised concerns about the potential consequences of an internal audit into oil theft and pipeline integrity.
According to the records, a senior official warned:
“I have no doubt that this [audit] will come out as UNACCEPTABLE, in which case we may be very exposed in disputing any oil loss claims from the Government or compensation claims from the community.”
Shell has rejected suggestions that the documents provide a complete picture of events, arguing that they fail to reflect the complex operating environment in the Niger Delta at the time.
Responding to the allegations, the company said:
“The documents selected are presented without the critical context of the operating environment in the Niger Delta at the time.”
It added:
“In isolation, they do not reflect the challenges of working against the backdrop of widespread organised criminality.”
The company maintains that many of the spills were caused by oil theft, sabotage and illegal refining activities rather than operational failures, and says it invested heavily in spill response efforts and measures aimed at protecting infrastructure.
Local leaders, however, argue that regardless of criminal activities in the region, Shell had a responsibility to ensure its infrastructure did not contribute to widespread environmental damage.
Chief Boma Renner Dappa, spokesperson for community leaders in Bille, said:
“They are not concerned about what happens to you. Their concern is [to] continue to make profit.”
He added:
“All that has happened in this environment is as a result of negligence.”
The case is expected to proceed to trial in the UK next year, where the affected communities will seek to hold Shell accountable for the long-term environmental impact of oil pollution in the Niger Delta.
Meanwhile, many residents continue to call for a comprehensive cleanup of affected waterways and ecosystems, saying the environmental damage has significantly affected fishing, farming and daily life across the region.
A resident, Taminoibitein Philip, appealed for restoration efforts, saying:
“Let them come and flush the river for us.”
