Shell knew Nigerian thieves tapped pipes, but kept oil flowing: Amnesty

ABUJA – Shell executives knew oil thieves were tapping pipelines but declined to shut them down to preserve profits, a report from Amnesty International and a coalition of rights groups charged yesterday.

The report, the latest in decades of allegations of pollution by international petroleum majors in Nigeria, is based on internal audits and emails made public as Shell faces lawsuits from local communities in the oil-rich, cash-poor Niger Delta.

“A significant cause of the pollution lies in Shell’s failure to properly maintain the vast network of wells and pipelines” operated by its Nigerian subsidiary, the Shell Petroleum Development Company, the report said.

But executives at both Shell and its subsidiary were also aware of rampant oil theft, allegedly facilitated in part by corrupt SPDC employees, the report said.