Shell said on Tuesday the volume of crude oil spills caused by sabotage in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta more than doubled to 3,300 tonnes last year, a level last seen in 2016.

While the volume of spills rose, the number of major spills fell to 106 in 2021 from 122 incidents the previous year, Shell said in its sustainability report.

It said in 2020, oil spills in Nigeria was 1,500 tonnes.

Shell is the operator of Nigeria's main onshore oil and gas joint venture SPDC which has struggled for years to contain spills in the Delta caused due to operational incidents, theft and sabotage.

A Nigerian court last month stopped Shell from selling any assets in Nigeria until a decision is reached on the company's appeal of a nearly $2 billion penalty for an alleged oil spill.

Reuters