Abstract
Oil has been an important part of the Nigerian economy since vast reserves of petroleum were discovered in the 1950s. In 1997, Nigeria earned over 95 percent of its foreign exchange from the sale of oil on the global market. This paper discusses the environmental damage on the Nigeria caused by oil spills, particularly on the Ogoni people of the Delta Region who claim that Shell Oil Company caused extensive damage to their way of life. The paper examines the damages that Shell was forced to pay out to the tribe, as well as the steps taken by the Shell and other petroleum companies to ensure less environmental damage.

From the Paper
"Although residents of the area also complain that tests should be taken to determine the extent of oil spills when they occur, this too, is passed up. The government of Nigeria has no labs that can test for oil pollution and international environmentalists are leery about doing work in the area because of the economic and political situation. As a result, the residents have never taken soil and water samples from despoiled areas. They have never tagged animals with sensors in order to chart disrupted habitats. They have never done a computer simulation to determine whether the canal that Shell built, in order to quicken the removal of oil from the river running through the village, has permanently changed the flow of the river. This was once seasonal but now flows year-round, thereby erasing cyclical ponds critical to spawning fish (Zachary)."

Tags:pollution, gas, pipelines, ChevronTexaco

Abstract
Oil has been an important part of the Nigerian economy since vast reserves of petroleum were discovered in the 1950s. In 1997, Nigeria earned over 95 percent of its foreign exchange from the sale of oil on the global market. Foreign oil companies dominated oil
exploration, drilling and shipping in Nigeria, with Shell Oil controlling approximately 60 percent of the country's domestic oil market. This paper examines the huge environmental damage in Nigeria caused by oil spills, gas-flaring and oil waste dumping. The paper looks at the destruction to the biodiversity of the affected regions, loss of wildlife and soil fertility and health problems. It looks, in particular, at the problems which affect the Ogoni people of the Delta region and the compensation Shell was forced to pay. Finally, the paper discusses the future of Nigeria's oil industry and Shell's promise to improve environmental concerns in the region.

From the Paper
"Critics note that such low-tech security operations can surely be significantly improved, especially when hundreds of millions of dollars are spent in developing technologies to discover oil under the ground. There are many oil pipeline surveillance technologies currently on the market, including a host of fiber optic sensors that detect stress in the pipelines and drilling equipment through subtle shifts in the optic wavelength. Researches at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio have developed harmonic sensors that can be placed inside of pipes via the flow of oil and then attach themselves to the interior to measure outside force. And over the last two years, ChevronTexaco has invested tens of millions of dollars in startup companies that design pipeline sensor networks (ibid)."

Tags:Olusegun, Obasanjo, pollution, Human, Rights, Watch, ChevronTexaco