The oil spill from Seibou oil well in Bayelsa State operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has been traced to a ruptured pipeline.

A Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) report on the incident estimated that some 549 barrels of SPDC’s crude stream was discharged into Ogboinbiri River in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and impacted several communities.

The JIV report obtained on Monday indicated that the visit was concluded on March 13, 2015.

SPDC had in a statement issued its Spokesperson, Mr. Joesph Obari, said the leakage was reported on January 23, 2015, and that the company subsequently shut the facility 15 hours afterwards when it became safe to do so.

The JIV team comprised Bayelsa Commissioner of Environment, Mr. Iniruo Wills, his Agriculture counterpart, Mr. Thomas Commander, officials of SPDC and of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).

Environmental Rights Action/Friends of Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), an NGO, and members of impacted communities were also part of the investigative visit.

A visual assessment of the underwater six-inch crude flow line by all the parties in the JIV team showed that the pipeline failed due to corrosion.

Hundreds of oil workers were deployed at the Seibou well head location in the channels of Ogboinbiri River to excavate the pipeline for inspection to unravel the cause of the spill.

The oil spill response team of SPDC had used booms, (Plastic Materials) to cordon off the canal to ensure that any residual oil leak will be trapped and recovered.

Speaking during the joint visit, Wills, the Bayelsa Commissioner for Environment, noted that the State Government had resolved to overhaul the entire spills and pollution response process.

He said: “We have noted that the Joint Investigation procedure had not achieved the desired result and we are resolved to follow up the entire process in details, out technical staff have been so directed to be fully involved.

“Also we have taken steps to make the JIV process very transparent and integrate all the relevant stakeholders just to ensure that every party is represented.”

•Photo shows oil workers and regulators examining pollution at Sheibou 2 well operated by Shell in Ogboinbiri, Bayelsa.