Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited announced on Tuesday that it has suspended crude oil shipments through its Okordia–Rumuekpe pipeline in Rivers State following an oil spill.

The incident occurred early Monday in the Ikata community, located in Ahoada East Local Government Area. The pipeline, which transports crude southward to the Rumuekpe manifold for export via the Bonny terminal, has been temporarily shut down as a result.

The oil spill was initially detected by community members and leaders of the Youth and Environmental Advocacy Centre, an environmental volunteer network.

Renaissance, which owns the former Shell onshore subsidiary operating the pipeline, confirmed that it has stopped production into the affected pipeline and implemented measures to limit environmental impact, according to a statement shared with Reuters.

While Renaissance did not disclose the cause or scale of the spill, YEAC-Nigeria said it was likely due to third-party interference, with crude oil spreading into the surrounding environment.

The company further stated that it has notified relevant government regulators and is collaborating with them and the local community to carry out a joint investigation into the incident.

Frequent oil spills and acts of pipeline vandalism continue to affect Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta, resulting in severe environmental pollution, damage to local ecosystems, and ongoing disruptions to oil output.

The Director of YEAC-Nigeria, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, stated that volunteers who inspected the site of the Okordia–Rumuekpe spill discovered signs of excavation and vandalism on the pipeline.

According to him, the visit on Monday revealed that unknown vandals allegedly dug into the ground and tampered with the 14-inch pipeline along the Okordia–Rumuekpe pipeline right of way.