Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited says the illegal occupation of Belema flow station and gas plant in Rivers State has safety implications both for the people at the facilities and nearby communities.

The SPDC said on Sunday that some persons had camped out day and night at the two facilities since August 11.

The oil major said it was “deeply concerned that unauthorised persons, including women and children, have been observed in close proximity to equipment that processes crude oil and gas without the protection of safety clothing that is mandatory for people working in or accessing such restricted areas.”

The SPDC said it had carried out an emergency shutdown of production ahead of the illegal occupation, but had been unable to access the facilities since then to ensure a safe shutdown over a prolonged period.

“The continued illegal occupation for many days exposes people at the plant to higher safety risks as anything could trigger a spill or fire with potentially serious consequences,” it said.

The company said it remained committed to the development of the Niger Delta, especially host communities including Belema and Kula.

It said the SPDC JV partners had contributed $29bn to the economic growth of Nigeria between 2012 and 2016.

“The SPDC JV is also currently supporting various GMoU Cluster Development Boards in the Niger Delta and mentoring the NGOs to deploy a total of N7bn for development projects of host communities’ choice under the GMoU programme,” the oil major said.

Shell had earlier denied allegations of neglect of communities in Kula Kingdom and Belema, saying it had implemented a Global Memorandum of Understanding in the area that led to a wide variety of social investment projects including university scholarships awards.