The Oil Spill the World Forgot

Shell OilAs the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to dominate headlines around the world, public outrage is being focused more intensely upon BP and its gaffe-prone CEO Tony Hayward. But amidst this crisis, the public should not forget the atrocities committed by other massive oil companies. For example, Royal Dutch Shell's drilling operations have been spilling oil into the Niger Delta in Nigeria since 1958. Because Nigeria is an impoverished nation and oil revenues fund a majority of government operations, Shell and other companies have been able to drill and pollute without serious oversight for all these years. It is estimated that 13 million barrels of oil have spilled into the delta, making life even more difficult for the region's destitute residents. Shell blames the constant spills on attacks from "rebels," who are in fact minority ethnic groups who feel they have been exploited and displaced by foreign oil companies. But Shell would never consider pulling out of the region or finding ways to avoid ethnic strife. Instead, Shell has proceeded with business as usual, and spilled a record 14,000 tons of crude oil into the delta last year.

Different Continent, Different Story

While Shell has allowed oil spills to become the norm in Nigeria, it tries to appear as a compassionate and environmentally-conscious company to the American public. To assist with the Gulf cleanup efforts, Shell has lent six vessels to BP. This morning, Shell president Marvin Odum told a Congressional panel that it's offshore drilling operations were safe and the BP oil spill is an aberration. In addition, Mr. Odum argued that the six-month moratorium on deep water drilling will create too many hardships for the American people. Mr. Odum and the rest of Shell know that they must seem concerned for the well-being of the American public and the environment if they want to receive permission to drill in American waters. But in Nigeria, where the people are poor and powerless and the government is corrupt, Shell does not have to make such an effort. Anyone who looks at the devastation of the Niger Delta can see that Shell is concerned with its bottom line above all else.  


I honestly didn't know about the oil spills in Nigeria. Of course, I am sure most people don't. "Shell blames the constant spills on attacks from "rebels". Of course they do, why would any oil company take the blame for what they are doing?

Nigerian Oil Spills are really because of the rebels. There is always a rebel problem in that part of Africa. Not that Shell is a great company or anything, but they are one company that doesn't compromise with safety.

Brilliant article exposing the hypocrisy of Shell - pretending to be good and responsible to the US while spilling tons of oil in the Niger Delta. It's sad the sort of things that money can drive people to do.

I understand there may be problems from rebel attacks but these multi-national companies do take precautions in protecting their own assets/personel so why not have the same commitment towards the environment. I am certain if they were losing large amounts of money through this, something would have been done to stem the problem a lot sooner and very quickly.

This article speaks close to me. Shell at lease has stepped up and tried to help with the disaster here close to home. We need more education on oil spills to prevent this from happening to other countries

BP's PR team have done what exactly? The entire episode has been a public relations disaster.

Not surprising that we Americans speak up most strongly when the spill is in our own backyard. I wish the outcry would be as loud about Shell and what it's been allowing in Nigeria since 1958.

Let 's keep our natural resources in the ground so the next generation has something to left over from the carnage of the baby boomers, maybe the next generation will ensure safety standards are meet.