By Emma Amaize
Posted to the Web: Saturday, October 13, 2007
*Unknown number burnt to death siphoning product
*Shell declares ‘force majeure’
WARRI — THE Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)’s 10 -inch Utorogu-Ughelli Pumping Station condensate trunkline in Delta state exploded, yesterday evening while condensate thieves who used the product to contaminate kerosene were busy siphoning product from the pipeline.
The SPDC shut down the Utorogu gas plant, which feeds the line, and declared a Force Majeure on gas supplies to the national grid while efforts were being made to evacuate the condensate. Condensate is a by-product of gas and the company must evacuate the product if it is to continue to produce gas. Some 300 million standard cubic feet of gas has been deferred as a result of the fire explosion.
Confirming the loss to the nation, a senior official of the company told Saturday Vanguard yesterday: “We regret any inconvenience the shortfall might cause and will work hard to extinguish the fire, repair the line and resume supplies as soon as possible.”
It could not be ascertained last night the number of casualties but a source said that some of the condensate thieves died in the explosion. There were several burnt and submerged boats, as well as abandoned hoses and drums around the scene.
An official of the Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Precious Okolobo confirmed that the company got the report of the fire and sent an helicopter to overfly the affected area.
According to him, “the cause of the fire is not immediately known. Helicopter overfly confirmed the fire to be on the outskirts of Otor-Edo in Ughelli South Local Government Area, with several burnt and submerged boats as well as abandoned hoses and drums sighted around the scene.”
“SPDC quickly informed the relevant government agencies and mobilized a fire-fighting team to the area. However, the fire is in a remote area and it may take some time before the team gets to the scene,” he said.
A joint investigation team comprising regulators, government agencies, community representatives and SPDC officials is expected to visit the area today to ascertain the cause of the fire and impact.
“The fire reinforces a recent trend of large-scale theft of condensate from SPDC facilities. SPDC is concerned that the practice has continued uninterrupted despite our appeals to the contrary,” Okolobo added.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/headline/f113102007.html
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
