preprints.org > environmental and earth sciences > pollution > doi: 10.20944/preprints202408.0329.v1 (registering DOI)

Preprint Review Version 1 This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 3 August 2024 / Approved: 5 August 2024 / Online: 6 August 2024 (12:25:28 CEST)

Pipelines are widely used globally, particularly in Nigeria, to transport raw and processed hydrocarbon fluids, including crude oil, from the point of production to the shore for export, processing facilities and distribution of refined products to depots for sales and consumption. Although pipelines are designed to withstand environmental and physical shocks, intermittently, pipelines are exposed to natural or human-induced conditions that damage pipelines and disrupt their functionality. These disruptions could result from operational defects or vandalism, causing an economic loss of up to US$ 658.5 million as observed in the Niger Delta from 1990 to 2022. Furthermore, product loss of about 705,100 barrels observed over the same period has caused environmental and social impacts, damaging the natural environment, destroying livelihoods supported by the ecosystem, and deteriorating the health of residents as documented in several literatures. To mitigate these issues and ensure the safe and reliable conveyance of crude oil in pipelines, measures must be taken to timely detect spillages and intervene during oil spillages to minimize damage and loss. Such detection methods include external, visual/ biological and internal/computation-based approaches. This paper uses a mixed-method approach to review the literature on the causes and impact of crude oil pipeline leakage in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and highlights some methods that could be applied to detect pipeline leakage, as well as their strengths and inefficiencies. This paper further assesses the joint investigation visit mechanisms for oil spill response used in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and identified that between 2006 to 2021, it took an average of 4 days to report oil spill occurrence, and 21 days to respond. Also, for 18 percent of the spill occurrences in that period, there were no JIV. This study suggests that the gap in the JIV mechanism can be addressed by integrating technology to enhance detectability and minimize the cost of monitoring. The paper also guides the way forward to develop and improve the reliability of pipeline leak detection systems.

detection approaches; Niger Delta; oil spillage; pollution; pipeline; vandalization

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Pollution

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