Shell faces UK action over Nigeria spill

Shell said yesterday that it wanted a “speedy resolution” to a compensation dispute with farmers and fishermen after oil spills in Nigeria.

Bosses said they were “disappointed” by the launch of legal action in the UK following spills four years ago.

British lawyers representing more than 11,000 Nigerians said negotiation had failed and litigation was the “only option”. Law firm Leigh Day & Co said paperwork was being lodged and an initial hearing was expected at the High Court in London in April.

Shell said the dispute concerned two 2008 “operational oil spills totalling an estimated 4,000 barrels” from Shell Petroleum Company of Nigeria facilities at Bodo, Nigeria.

Managing director Mutiu Sunmonu said: “We want a speedy resolution of this dispute so we can pay fair compensation.”