The Staggers

The New Statesman’s rolling politics blog

The Niger Delta: some perspective on the BP oil spill

There is a shocking disparity in the media and political response to oil disasters in different parts of the world.

By Samira Shackle Published 14 June 2010 14:04

The response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has, understandably for such a catastrophe, been huge -- from international condemnation of BP, to a narrowly avoided diplomatic row between Britain and the United States.

No one denies that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a disaster that is having a hugely damaging effect on ecosystems in the affected areas, as well as on the fishing and tourism industries. But how about a little sense of proportion?

Receiving somewhat less attention in the international press is the environmental outrage that has been inflicted on the Niger Delta over the past 50 years.

To give a recent example, on 1 May 2010, a ruptured ExxonMobil pipeline spilled more than a million gallons into the delta over seven days before the leak was stopped. There was not so much reporting about that.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Though exact figures are hard to come by, because oil companies and the Nigerian government are secretive about oil spills, a 2006 report by WWF UK, the World Conservation Union, and Nigerian representatives found that up to 1.5 million tonnes of oil had been spilled in the area over the preceding 50 years. This is 50 times the amount spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska.

A 2009 report by Amnesty calculated that at least nine million barrels of oil had been spilled. These figures suggest that every year, an amount equivalent to that lost in the Gulf of Mexico is spilled in the delta.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation says that an average of 300 individual spills each year equals nearly 2,300 cubic metres. This does not take into account "minor" spills, and the World Bank suggests that the real quantity is as much as ten times higher.

The delta is now one of the most polluted spots in the world. It is estimated that leaking crude oil -- which the oil companies blame on thieves and separatists, and campaigners blame on rusting equipment -- costs Nigeria $10m (£5.3m) daily.

The Niger Delta provides 40 per cent of all the crude oil imported by the United States. Over two generations, life expectancy in the region's rural communities -- where many people cannot get access to clean water -- has fallen to just over 40 years.

Barack Obama is right to recognise the scale of the disaster in the gulf (which, he said today, echoes the 11 September 2001 attacks), but it is rather sobering to note this disparity. Yet again, there seems to be one rule for the west, and another for the rest of the world.

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Tags: Oil

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9 comments

Tue, 2010-06-15 00:44 — Vivek (not verified)

How convenient that info like this isn't published too often in the mainstream press. It's nauseating what big corporations have done for profit and how much of a stranglehold they have on the livelihoods of millions.

Tue, 2010-06-15 17:58 — Stephen (not verified)

I am not surprised with the report whether in cubic, gallons, tons or whatever measurement used, spill is spill, which in any case has destroyed the entire livelihood of the Niger Delta region people. The most important thing is what the writer tried to expose; the different rules and regulation used in determing the proportion of events reporting across the different parts of the world.
On a serious note, which country in the developed world will accept what is happening in the Niger Delta for day without the media turning it to their toothbrush when compared to what has been on for more than 50 years?
Shame of the developed world divide and rule and lip service approach to world events. It's US turn to experience what the poor in that part of the world have been going through. Which country is NEXT?

Mon, 2010-06-14 14:41 — cher (not verified)

And its been spilling since 1970s at that rate, even in Lagos.

Mon, 2010-06-14 17:08 — Richard (not verified)

Perhaps if the people from the Niger delta could vote in the US it would be different? Nope, just poor and black, just like those poor souls in New Orleans who are still waiting for help.

Mon, 2010-06-14 18:08 — Neil McLeish (not verified)

Whereas I agree with keeping things in prespective, I have to say that I have found your article a little confusing in that each of the separate incidents mentioned have been quote using different units of measurement:
May 2010: "more than a million gallons";
2006 Report: "1.5 million tons";
2009 Report: "9m barrels";
"Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation says...2,300 cubic meters";

This suggests, hopefully erroneously, that an attempt is being made to confuse the reader or to inflate figures that if were all reported in the same unit, would not look so high.

Shoddy report writing, or deliberate obfuscation?

Best regards,

Neil.

Wed, 2010-06-16 02:01 — Dade

@Neil - How does your slicing and dicing of the figures in this piece take anything away from the grand scale of the environmental crimes of western oil companies in places like the Niger Delta?
@Vivek - The Observer ran a story on this a couple of weeks back
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-del...
Samira rightly makes the point that oil majors such as BP, Shell, Exxon etc should be held (and also hold themselves)to the same high standards in places like the Niger Delta as the do in their backyards in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. What part of this premise do you disagree with this?

Wed, 2010-06-16 02:04 — Dade

@Neil - How does your slicing and dicing of the figures in this piece take anything away from the grand scale of the environmental crimes of western oil companies in places like the Niger Delta?
Samira rightly makes the point that oil majors such as BP, Shell, Exxon etc should be held (and also hold themselves)to the same high standards in places like the Niger Delta as the do in their backyards in the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. What part of this premise do you disagree with this?

@Vivek - The Observer ran a story on this a couple of weeks back

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-del...

Mon, 2010-06-14 19:50 — Tara Heart (not verified)

An error in the article. The US buys 40% of Nigeria's exports. But the Nigerian exports account for 4% of US imports.

Sat, 2010-06-26 05:08 — Justin Morrissey (not verified)

All of the major oil companies are doing what they do best, making profits for shareholders at any cost. Boycotting sounds reasonable, but when you buy even from the little independent Liberty or Gull (Independent Australian fuel stations, they are still having to do the same process to extract the oil. Australian's need to prepare themselves as best possible for their future by starting to convert their cars to electric, getting OFF THE GRID, resourcing more products locally, getting involved in more local actions and sustainable movements. This year I'm helping lead a team to convert a truck to electric- taking the diesel engine out putting in a electric motor and fold out solar panels for when it is parked up to restock the batteries.
It's by no means a complete solution even batteries and battery storage have their challenges, but they last longer, can be recycled, and there is not as much pollution in the manufacture of these.
if we could convince the corporations and governments to start investing OUR money into these projects we could reduce the environemtnal impact of further disasters as the searhc for oil in the futre will lead to far greater disasters and the ruin of many economies.
We've started a page called OFF THE GRID a grass roots campaign to raise awareness and provide a reasonable alternative. We are looking at Australia's energy sector Good and Bad. We are seeking help from our communities and suggestions of unique Australian stories of people who are moving OFF THE GRID.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Off-the-Grid/137690796242987
www.networkedmedia.org/silverscreenpictures