Nigeria’s Renaissance Group is confronting significant operational challenges following two ruptures of the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) within a span of two months.
The most recent incident occurred on May 6, 2025, resulting in a substantial oil spill in the B-Dere community of Ogoniland, as reported by the environmental rights group Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).
This latest spill follows a previous explosion in March that led to a fire and temporary shutdown of the pipeline.
The TNP, with a capacity of approximately 450,000 barrels per day, is a critical conduit for transporting Bonny Light crude to export terminals.
Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of HOMEF, criticized the delayed response to the May spill, stating, “We are in a disaster zone, and further disasters can erupt from even an accidental spark of fire.”
Bassey sued for the need for the government to focus on environmental remediation in Ogoniland rather than pursuing new oil explorations.
“The fact that this spill that happened a week ago is yet to be stopped sends a very strong point to why the government should focus on cleaning up Ogoniland and not seek to open new oil wells. The old wells should be shut down, and decommissioned,” he said.
Moreover, Renaissance, which acquired the onshore asset from Shell earlier this year, confirmed the explosion and has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the spill.
The company is collaborating with government regulators and local communities to assess the damage and implement necessary repairs.
Although the exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined, ageing assets, pipeline sabotage and crude theft are some of the major reasons that forced oil majors like Shell and Exxon Mobil to divest their onshore and shallow-water operations.
The repeated incidents have raised concerns about the vulnerability of Nigeria’s oil infrastructure and its potential impact on the country’s oil production and revenue.
Analysts warn that such disruptions could hinder Nigeria’s ability to meet its OPEC production quotas and affect investor confidence in the sector.
The shutdown of the TNP, if not addressed promptly, also threatens Nigeria’s oil output and export, with the potential to jeopardize revenue for the oil-dependent economy.
