The correspondence shows Markus Droll, then Shell’s Technical Vice President, warning that the company was “pretty exposed” by its decision to keep the line running.
Confidential internal emails from October 2008 reveal sharp disagreements among senior Shell executives over whether to continue operating the Nembe Creek Trunk Line (NCTL) in Nigeria despite concerns that the pipeline was outside technical integrity standards and vulnerable to sabotage.
The correspondence shows Markus Droll, then Shell’s Technical Vice President, warning that the company was “pretty exposed” by its decision to keep the line running.
He argued that the justification for not shutting down the supplying wells was weak, stressing that another “massive explosive attack” could force an immediate closure.
Droll insisted that installing Non-Return Valves (NRVs) to safeguard wells should be prioritized alongside pipeline replacement, noting that sabotage could easily recur even after repairs.
