Shell Nigeria, one of the largest oil companies in the Niger Delta, is planning to shut down one of the most important pipelines in the country because of 'unprecedented' levels of oil theft. Observers say repairing the damaged pipeline will not fix the problem. Shutting down a 150,000 barrel a day oil pipeline is a major setback for any company, but Shell Petroleum Development Company in Nigeria says it has no choice. It says it has to shut down the Nembe Creek Trunkline, a major oil export pipe, to repair holes drilled by oil thieves. Shell declined to say when it expects the pipeline to re-open. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil exporter, shipping about 2.5 million barrels of oil a day. Nigerians in the Niger Delta have long complained all they get for their land's oil wealth are massive oil spills.
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