By definition, a single unauthorized connection renders a line non-compliant with technical standards and in need of immediate corrective action or shutdown.
A confidential attachment to a Shell pipelines exception letter dated November 2012 has revealed the extent of illegal connections plaguing the company’s infrastructure in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, underscoring the challenges of combating crude oil theft and its environmental fallout.
The document, signed by Jurgen Janzen of Shell’s Pipeline Asset Organisation, explains that numerous pipelines have been classified as “red” under GAIR safety definitions because of illegal taps installed by oil thieves.
By definition, a single unauthorized connection renders a line non-compliant with technical standards and in need of immediate corrective action or shutdown.
Shell acknowledged that removing all illegal connections would require significant downtime, during which new taps are often installed elsewhere.
