Shell exaggerates issue: Explosion shuts Shell Nigeria oil pipeline

SHELL Nigeria says an explosion and fire caused by oil theft have forced it to shut down its Trans Niger Pipeline that carries 150,000 barrels of crude a day.   Thursday's statement said the theft of oil, known as bunkering, caused the conflagration at Bodo West in Ogoniland. The area in southern Nigeria already has suffered decades of oil spills. Shell's Nigeria Director Mutiu Sunmonu described "another sad reminder of the tragic consequences of crude oil theft".  Environmental activists accuse Shell Nigeria of using oil theft as an excuse to cover up accidental spills.  The company has to compensate local communities for spills not caused by theft. "Sabotage is a problem in Nigeria, but Shell exaggerates this issue to avoid criticism for its failure to prevent oil spills," Audrey Gaughran of Amnesty International said.

Yemen repairs main crude oil pipeline after explosion: official

SANAA -- Yemen's main oil export pipeline has been repaired and crude is again flowing to the terminal on the Red Sea after tribesmen blew up a section of the link last week, a Yemeni oil official said on Thursday.

Friday's explosion followed a day after the completion of repairs to damage from a similar attack on May 24, before which the pipeline had been pumping around 125,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The Arabian Peninsula state, which relies on crude exports to replenish its reserves and finance up to 70 percent of budget spending, has suffered frequent bombings of its main pipeline in central Maarib province since an uprising broke out in 2011.

The tribesmen have given an ultimatum to the government to respond to their demands by Friday evening or they will blow up the pipeline again, the official said.