Shell says it spills about 14,000 tons of oil in Nigeria last year

The oil was lost at the pipelines in the Niger Delta of the West African country, the report said. It registered a notable increase in the amount of spilled oil, when compared with that in 2008.

The company made the announcement in an annual environmental report which was released on Tuesday, the report added.

It also pointed out two major incidents which caused the spills, damage made by thieves at Odidi field and a bomb explosion by militants at the Trans Escravos pipeline.

The development came after Nigeria's Minister of Petroleum Resources Dieziani Alison-Madueke had said her priorities include deregulation of the downstream sector and maintenance of the integrity of pipelines to ensure efficient product supply.

She said this in Abuja later last month at an interactive session with chief executive officers of agencies in the ministry.

The minister said she would also be focusing on increased gas for power generation, speedy passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill and the resolution of the Niger Delta crisis; Kazinform cites Xinhua.