Environmental Impact of Exploration and Production Operations on the Niger Delta Mangrove

Abstract Mangroves can be defined as the brackish, tidal areas of sheltered tropical or subtropical coastlines and are considered to be environmentally very sensitive. The Niger Delta, in which Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) operates, consists of more than 6000 km2 of these brackish water swamps. The Niger Delta ecosystem is particularly characterised by extensive networks of creeks, with tall mangrove trees at the creek edges, while further inland only short mangroves are found. Stilted roots are typical for these littoral plant formations. The fauna is characterised by fish and bird life, a large variety of species inhabiting the sediment (benthos) and patchy distributed wildlife. In the past 5 years, SPDC has embarked on a large number of environmental baseline and impact studies to assess the environmental impact of SPDC's operations on the mangrove ecosystem with the objective of minimising that impact. Geographically these studies cover the entire Niger Delta and they deal with various E&P related activities: seismic, drilling and production. SPDC has two operating divisions, covering the Eastern and Western part of the Niger Delta. This paper concentrates on studies carried out in the Eastern part of the Niger Delta and describes the area, its sensitivities and SPDC's effort at understanding the impact on the mangrove ecosystem. It also describes a number of existing guidelines aimed at minimising impact to the environment and preventing or remediating (potential) adverse impact on the mangrove.