Internal Shell emails and presentations show the company kept operating the 60-mile Nembe Creek Trunk Line for years after staff warned from 2008 that theft, attacks and poor integrity were causing widespread pollution.
A 2012 confidential form classified sections of the pipeline as “red” — Shell’s highest risk category requiring shutdown or immediate corrective action — but executives approved continued pumping, citing fears closure would trigger more illegal taps elsewhere.
A 2013 email warned an audit of theft and pipeline integrity could leave Shell “very exposed” to government oil-loss disputes and community compensation claims, while Project Madrid estimated about 100 illegal refineries and pollution across 9,000 hectares each of land and water.
The documents surfaced in a UK lawsuit by Niger Delta communities seeking $1 billion — $250 million in compensation and $750 million for cleanup — over more than 100 leaks between 2011 and 2013.
Shell says the files omit the Niger Delta’s criminality and militancy, argues most pollution came from theft and sabotage, and says it will fight the case at trial next year despite having sold the pipeline in 2025.
Can Shell be forced to clean up Nigerian pollution after selling the pipeline that caused it?
Will Shell's own internal warnings be the key to a billion-dollar victory for polluted Nigerian communities?
Is environmental disaster in the Niger Delta inevitable, no matter which oil company is in charge?
Shell’s 2026 Exit Leaves 3,130 Metric Tons of Oil Spills and Unresolved Pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta
Overview
Between 2023 and 2026, Shell faced mounting legal and operational challenges in Nigeria, leading to its strategic divestment from onshore oil interests. In early 2026, Shell transferred its licenses to the Renaissance Africa Energy Company (RAEC), a move that followed years of instability and pressure. Despite Shell’s exit, communities like Bille and Ogale, with a combined population of 50,000, continue to suffer from chronic oil spills. Amnesty International’s 2023 report stressed the need for strong safeguards to protect these communities as Shell left, highlighting ongoing concerns about accountability and environmental justice in the Niger Delta.