Oil spill occurs at Shell's Bonny Island terminal in Niger Delta

An oil spill has occurred at the Shell loading terminal in Nigeria's Delta region after a pipeline ruptured, Nigeria's maritime agency said on Sunday.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said the spill which occurred on Saturday at the Bonny terminal has reached shoreline and that it was actively monitoring the situation.

“Members of the public are advised to remain calm as NIMASA is committed to mitigating the impact of the spill and restore affected areas,” said the agency.

NIMASA added that it was also working with Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and other stakeholders to assess the extent of the spill and follow-up actions.

The maritime agency said SPDC has shut down the affected pipeline and deployed containment booms to protect neighbouring communities.

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh, Writing by Chijioke Ohuocha, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Ros Russell)