Environmental groups claim the volume of the recent spill was larger than admitted by the oil company
January 1, 2012 – 8:30am | By Tony Tamuno
Contrary to claims by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) that the December 20 oil spill in its Bonga offshore field involved less than 40,000 barrels, latest satellite imaging by United States-based non-profit environmental awareness and protection group, SkyTruth, reveals that the volume could have been as high as 60,000 barrels.
Environmental analysts say the thickness of the oil slick on the waters adjoining the spill area, estimated at about 120 kilometres offshore Nigeria in the 200,000 barrels per day capacity Bonga oil field, was inconsistent with what Shell claimed as the volume of oil pumped into the ocean.