Yengoa – The Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) yesterday defended its operations at the multi billion naira E.A oil field saying it had not violated the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) entered into with its host communities in Bayelsa State.

Yenagoa – The rural settlement of Emago-Kugbo, a border settlement between Bayelsa and Rivers has been hit by oil spills leading to the destruction of community farmland and creek, their source of drinking water.

Host communities to the multi billion naira SPDC E.A oil field have threatened to shut down operations at the facilities in protest over what they described as the alleged refusal of the oil giant to comply with the provisions of the local content and community employment opportunities as contained in Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) entered into with them.

The delay in passing the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, into law is generating increasing anxiety among stakeholders. The Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, Mr. David Ugolor, in an interview with journalists as captured by Clara Nwachukwu, attributed the development to the confusion caused by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in muting several versions of the bill.

TO ease complaints on kerosene scarcity, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, through its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, said it has pumped about 37 million litres of the product into the market. The national demand for kerosene is 10 million litres per day.