Shell documents reveal alleged pollution risks and $10.9bn decommissioning costs in Niger Delta

A report published by Amnesty International and partner organisations examined internal emails, audits, presentations and confidential reviews disclosed during UK legal proceedings. It alleges that Shell continued operating despite concerns over pipeline integrity, missing infrastructure records, weak leak detection systems and possible staff and contractor involvement in oil theft.

The report, Nigeria: Lifting the Lid, claims Shell was aware of risks from ageing pipelines, including the Nembe Creek Trunk Line, which was internally described as “a basket” case. It says an internal estimate put the cost of decommissioning Shell’s former Nigerian onshore operations at US$10.9 billion, while a separate presentation identified 375km² of mangrove forest affected by pollution.

Shell rejected the allegations, saying: “The characterisation and portrayal of Shell in your letter is not one we recognise. Shell is committed to honesty, integrity and respect for people, and to conducting business in an ethical and transparent manner.”

The company said the findings did not reflect the “challenging operating environment in the Niger Delta at the time”.

Amnesty said the documents challenged Shell’s long-standing position that oil theft and sabotage were the main causes of pollution in the region.

“Shell has long blamed oil theft and sabotage for pollution in the Niger Delta. But these documents cut through years of denial and raise grave questions about what Shell knew, what it allowed to continue, and whether it then sought to walk away from the costs of its toxic legacy,” said Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

The report alleges that Shell allowed illegal connections on pipelines to remain because removing them would cause “considerable system downtime”, affecting oil production.

It also claims that Shell exempted its Nigerian subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), from elements of its own health and safety standards to allow oil to continue flowing through compromised pipelines.

Internal audits cited in the report allegedly identified maintenance backlogs, poor records and more than 1,600 pipeline clamps, including some whose locations were unknown. The report also claims Shell could not verify the condition of hundreds of oil wells and lacked real-time pipeline monitoring systems capable of quickly detecting spills.

Shell sold its Nigerian onshore business, SPDC, to Renaissance Africa Energy in 2025. The organisations behind the report said the divestment should not allow Shell to avoid responsibility for environmental damage caused during its operations.

“Shell cannot be allowed to take the oil, take the profits and leave the pollution behind. Communities in the Niger Delta deserve truth, justice, clean-up and full remedy,” said Olanrewaju Suraju, chairman of the HEDA Resource Centre.

The report calls for reforms to Nigeria’s oil industry oversight, including independent audits of operational and decommissioned infrastructure and a dedicated fund for Niger Delta clean-up.

“In addition to living with unacceptable oil pollution, Nigerians are experiencing extreme heat, deadly flooding and other extreme weather events linked to the global heating caused by the use of Shell’s primary product: fossil fuels,” Mr Sanusi said.

Shell has previously denied that it failed to address pollution and said oil theft and sabotage have been major contributors to environmental damage in the Niger Delta.

Legal action brought by communities in Ogale and Bille against Shell and SPDC remains ongoing in the English courts, with the Bille case due to be heard in March 2027.