Ecosystems’ value and Nature Protection in Niger Delta

Abstract Oil and gas exploration and exploitation in Niger Delta region (Nigeria) have been characterized by environmental degradation as a result of oil spillage, flaring of gas, deforestation and other unwholesome practices of oil and gas multinational companies operating in the area. The devastation of the environment is the consequence of all stages of oil and gas activities from the exploration, drilling to transportation and storage. These environmentally unfriendly acts adversely affect the inhabitants whose livelihoods depend on the ecosystem for survival.

This paper focuses on Niger Delta region, the country’s hydrocarbon hub. The main goal of the study is to review the environmental, health and social implications resulting from oil spill, gas flaring and other exploration related activities. It also suggests ways to mitigate some of these impacts through government policies and regulations of the oil and gas industries operating in the region. Keywords: Niger Delta Region, Oil and Gas Activities, Oil Spillage, Gas Flaring, Gas Pollution, Ecosystems’ value, Nature Protection

Introduction The environmental challenges faced by Nigeria are diverse, but the purpose of this research is to focus on crude oil, which is the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. Environmental hazards due to petroleum exploration and exploitation is a global challenge now. Oil and gas spills have posed a major environmental threat to the habitats of the indigenous oil-bearing communities, and if not effectively managed could lead to the complete ecosystems’ devastation. Ecosystems’ value Studies indicate that Nigeria has of about 159 functional oil fields and 1481 wells operating in the coastal Niger Delta Basin in the Niger Delta region.

Most of these fields are small and scattered [11]. Petroleum products in Nigeria are mainly transported through network of petroleum pipelines scattered mostly in the Niger Delta region, and across Nigeria. Nigeria’s crude oil is categorized mostly as “light” and “sweet”, as the oil is largely sulphur-free. Currently, India is the largest importer of crude oil from Nigeria. Crude oil from Nigeria is being exported to other countries via six export terminals in the country. All six terminals operate at different capacities.

Two of these terminals are being operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), while the other four are being operated by Texaco, Mobil and Agip. SPDC operates the Forcados and Bonny terminals that have a combined storage capacity of 13 million barrels (2,100,000 m3) of crude oil. Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom state is being operated by Mobil, while Chevron controls the Escravos Terminal located in Delta State with a storage capacity of 3. 6 million barrels (570,000 m3). Agip operates the Brass Terminal in Brass which has a storage capacity of 3,558,000 barrels (565,700 m3).

And Pennington Terminal is being operated by Texaco [12]. Oil spills It is estimated that in the past five decades about 9 million-13 million (1. 5 million tons) of oil has been spilled into the Niger Delta ecosystem [13]. Araromi in the present Ondo state was the first place to experience oil spill in Nigeria. in 1908 [19]. Nigeria recorded a major spill in July 1979 when the Forcados tank 6 Terminal in Delta state, spilled 570,000 barrels of oil into the Forcados estuary polluting the ecosystem [19 and 21].

An estimate 421,000 barrels of oil was blown into the ocean from January 17th to January 30th 1980 from an oil well called Funiwa in the delta, causing the devastation of about 863 acres of mangrove forest within six miles of the shore [8, 21 and 22]. Another major oil spillage was the Ogada-Brass pipeline oil spillage near Etiama Nembe in February 1995 which spilled approximately 24,000 barrels of oil, the spilled oil flooded over freshwater swamp forest and into the brackish water mangrove swamp.

In 2008 alone it was reported by Amnesty International that a total of over 100,000 barrels of crude oil was spilled in Bode community even though Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) put the figure at just 1600 barrels [2]. Again, Amnesty International argued that even though figures on the website of SPDC had shown that between 2007 and 2014, an estimated 1693 incidences of spill occurred and more than 350,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the region, the actual volume of crude spilled was underestimated [2].

The majority of the spill incidences in the Niger Delta occur on land, swamp, offshore, farmland, etc. and cause severe hardship to the inhabitants [13, 14, 15, and 20]. Petroleum industry specificity Studies indicate that Nigeria has of about 159 functional oil fields and 1481 wells operating in the coastal Niger Delta Basin in the Niger Delta region. Most of these fields are small and scattered [11]. Petroleum products in Nigeria are mainly transported through network of petroleum pipelines scattered mostly in the Niger Delta region, and across Nigeria.

Nigeria’s crude oil is categorized mostly as “light” and “sweet”, as the oil is largely sulphur-free. Currently, India is the largest importer of crude oil from Nigeria. Crude oil from Nigeria is being exported to other countries via six export terminals in the country. All six terminals operate at different capacities. Two of these terminals are being operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), while the other four are being operated by Texaco, Mobil and Agip. SPDC operates the Forcados and Bonny terminals that have a combined storage capacity of 13 million barrels (2,100,000 m3) of crude oil.

Qua Iboe Terminal in Akwa Ibom state is being operated by Mobil, while Chevron controls the Escravos Terminal located in Delta State with a storage capacity of 3. 6 million barrels (570,000 m3). Agip operates the Brass Terminal in Brass which has a storage capacity of 3,558,000 barrels (565,700 m3). And Pennington Terminal is being operated by Texaco [12]. Oil spills It is estimated that in the past five decades about 9 million-13 million (1. 5 million tons) of oil has been spilled into the Niger Delta ecosystem [13].

Araromi in the present Ondo state was the first place to experience oil spill in Nigeria. in 1908 [19]. Nigeria recorded a major spill in July 1979 when the Forcados tank 6 Terminal in Delta state, spilled 570,000 barrels of oil into the Forcados estuary polluting the ecosystem [19 and 21]. An estimate 421,000 barrels of oil was blown into the ocean from January 17th to January 30th 1980 from an oil well called Funiwa in the delta, causing the devastation of about 863 acres of mangrove forest within six miles of the shore [8, 21 and 22].

Another major oil spillage was the Ogada-Brass pipeline oil spillage near Etiama Nembe in February 1995 which spilled approximately 24,000 barrels of oil, the spilled oil flooded over freshwater swamp forest and into the brackish water mangrove swamp. In 2008 alone it was reported by Amnesty International that a total of over 100,000 barrels of crude oil was spilled in Bode community even though Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) put the figure at just 1600 barrels [2].

Again, Amnesty International argued that even though figures on the website of SPDC had shown that between 2007 and 2014, an estimated 1693 incidences of spill occurred and more than 350,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the region, the actual volume of crude spilled was underestimated [2]. The majority of the spill incidences in the Niger Delta occur on land, swamp, offshore, farmland, etc. and cause severe hardship to the inhabitants [13, 14, 15, and 20]. Gas Flaring Flaring of gas is another environmental challenge experienced in the Niger Delta area.

Gas has been flared in Nigeria’s Niger Delta since the beginning of exploitation and exploration of crude oil in the 1950s. Nigeria even with the challenges of energy insecurity and legislative frameworks to combat the dangers of gas flaring still suffers multiple environmental and health issues due to the continuous release of CO2 and other poisonous gasses into the atmosphere It has been recorded that Nigeria flares about 40% natural gas while more than 10% is been re-injected to enhance the recovery of oil [16].

The estimated quantity of natural gas flared in Niger Delta is about 17.2 billion m3 per year, this volume is approximately equivalent to a quarter of the current power consumption need of the whole of Africa [1]. This ruinous practice by oil and gas companies operating in the region has diffused highly toxic gasses into the atmosphere in Niger Delta. The concentration of these toxicants have caused acid rain, which has resulted to loss of soil fertility, destruction of vegetation and devastation of buildings by corrugation of roofs. The indigenous people of the area have also suffered numerous adverse health challenges.

Cases of reproductive deformities in children, cancer, neurological, reproductive and skin infections have been reported [18]. Ecosystem survival In the ecosystem, all constituent parts are crucial in order to survive. The inhabitants are an integral part of the Niger Delta’s wider ecosystem. As such, they are affected by the dangerous and sometimes catastrophic impacts of oil exploration and exploitation activities. The people of Niger Delta are adversely affected by oil spills since they occur at a particular place and extend over a wide area.

It is on record that, indigenous communities were relocated due to the oil spill; resulting to loss of ancestral home, farmlands, fishing areas and other means of their livelihoods which directly and indirectly rely on the ecosystem. The indigenous people of the Delta have incurred colossal losses as a result of these spills. Moreover, persistent pollution has exposed the native population to a new set of illnesses to compound those they were susceptible due to their extremely poor living conditions.

A study conducted between 2000 and 2005 showed a decline in water bodies, mangroves and close forests and with an increase in bare land, settlements and mixed, man-made forests [21]. Conclusion Negative environmental health and social impacts of the oil industry are a major concern in Niger Delta region. Information on oil spills remains scrappy. While larger spill are more likely to be reported (albeit at times with delays), the problems created by smaller, but more common spills are easier to conceal and thus tend to be underestimated.

In addition, to the direct health, social and environmental effects, there are far-reaching impacts on livelihoods in local communities that largely depend on natural resources from agriculture, fisheries and other ecosystem services for survival. There is a serious lack of manpower and equipment, to effectively monitor and respond to oil spill, gas flaring and other environmental hazards prevalent in the area. Since the government seem to lack adequate information about the extent of the devastation, it reduces its ability to combat the menace of environmental degradation and the resultant consequences on the inhabitants and the ecosystem.

Most environmentalists in the area have blamed the oil companies for their noxious oil and gas activities. However, the authorities are also responsible because they have the prerogative to provide laws, licenses and legislation that must be adhered to by these multinationals. Recently, improvements have been recorded on tackling these environmental challenges through some government agencies, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders through a large-scale campaign to prevent environmental degradation and remediate the environment.

Proposals
• Immediate restoration and remediation of the entire Niger Delta ecosystems with special attention to polluted sites. There should be concerted efforts both by the government and the multinationals to ensure a total environmental rehabilitation of the region.
• Massive investment into the development of environmental management and research centers. These institutions will be saddled (among other things) with the responsibilities of developing new ideas of operation to minimize environmental hazards.
• Environmentally friendly methods and techniques should be adopted to minimize degradation to the barest minimum. Gas flaring should be stopped immediately. The gasses instead should be converted into the other sources of energy.

• The government should ensure that periodic Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) are being conducted.
• The obsolete laws of oil and gas should be reviewed and updated with an emphasis on compliance by the oil companies.
• The indigenous people of the area should be given the opportunity to be key players in the oil and gas sector to give them a sense of belonging. And all oil-bearing communities should be adequately compensated through the infrastructural development of their local communities.
• Government and the oil companies should collaborate and engage the people to sensitize them on the importance of the conservation of the environment. The people should be aware of the dangers of vandalizing oil and gas facilities.
• The government should provide an enabling environment for the development of alternative energy sources and also diversify the economy.