Our approach
We report on our spills performance each year.
Between 1997 and 2005, the amount of oil and oil products spilled from our operations for reasons that we can directly prevent declined gradually. Spill volumes from corrosion or operational failures rose slightly in 2006, largely because of two big spills in Nigeria. At some sites in Nigeria, where we have stopped production because of the security situation, reliable information about spills will not be available until we are able to return and restart operations.
Elsewhere in our upstream business, better pipeline inspection and maintenance has reduced preventable spills, by almost 60% in Oman, for example, since 2000.
In our downstream business, the number and volume of preventable spills were down again in 2006. We are tracking minor leaks more carefully and fixing their underlying causes earlier at our refineries and chemical plants. Our distribution network has also implemented a programme to proactively prevent spills through more focused inspection and maintenance of pipelines and tanks at storage depots, and through efforts to prevent spills from delivery trucks, particularly in Africa.
This spills prevention programme demands strong leadership commitment to highlight performance and emphasise prevention in a similar way that we do for safety incidents. Gathering data from all spills (regardless of size) and identifying trends from past incidents helps field inspectors look for similar circumstances, operations or practices, which may result in comparable incidents. Preventative action or repairs are then undertaken to minimise the likelihood of further incidents occurring. Focus is on proactive prevention of spills rather than reactive response.
Related links
Our 
spills volumes and other environmental performance data.
Read about our spills performance in Nigeria in the Shell In Nigeria Report.
Read about our efforts to improve asset integrity (including spills prevention) in our section on Personal and Process safety.
→ Shell Sustainability Report 2006
Visit the online Shell Sustainability Report 2006 and discover what we say about spills - opens in new window.
