Newly released internal Shell documents have revealed that senior executives approved the continued operation of oil pipelines in Nigeria’s Niger Delta despite repeated warnings from engineers about environmental risks and the potential for oil spills.
Newly released internal Shell documents have revealed that senior executives approved the continued operation of oil pipelines in Nigeria’s Niger Delta despite repeated warnings from engineers about environmental risks and the potential for oil spills.
The documents, obtained by the BBC amid an ongoing class-action lawsuit before the English High Court involving the Bille and Ogale communities in Rivers State, include emails, internal reports, memos, and presentations spanning several years.
According to the records, executives at the former parent company, Royal Dutch Shell (RDS), were aware of widespread oil theft and hundreds of illegal pipeline connections between 2008 and 2013 but chose to keep production running in order to minimise operational disruptions.
