(Ecofin Agency) - Shell on Wednesday said the Escravos flow station operated by its joint-venture partner SPDC in the Niger Delta has been shut down due to a protest by locals in the southern region.

Shyne Edema, a youth leader in the oil region, had said earlier that his group was staging a protest at the facility, shutting down power and water supplies as well as crude production.

“We are hopeful that the protesters will call off their action to ensure resumption of project activities and our operations,” Shell said.

Meanwhile a community leader in the same region said there has been an oil spill after militant attacked the company's Forcados pipeline. The Local leader, New-World Endoro, added that his community informed Shell on Wednesday about the oil spill coming from the pipeline due to an attack on Tuesday but it was unclear where the attack had occurred, Reuters reports.

Nigerian militants claimed another attack on an oil pipeline carrying crude for export from Shell's Forcados terminal in the country's south. This is the third attack in eight days on the Trans Forcados pipeline network. The first attack occurred hours after Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, held talks with Militants and community leaders in an effort to halt the sabotage. Militants and community leaders are clamoring for development and a bigger share of revenues from oil.

According to the Niger Delta Avengers, Tuesday night's attack was to buttress their warnings for oil companies to abstain from renovating attacked installations.

Anita Fatunji