In spite of security concerns in the Niger Delta, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), will later this year kick-start its expenditure plans on oil and gas projects worth $15 billion, Vanguard reports.

On April 18, a delegation of Royal Dutch Shell, the parent company of SPDC, led by Ben van Beurden, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), met with President Muhammadu Buhari in London. The meeting, according to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, was facilitated by Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State, where the oil giant unfolded its $15 billion investment plan for Nigeria.

It was learnt that part of the investment includes Shell’s counterpart funding for its 25.6 percent share in the construction of Trains 7 and 8 in the Nigeria LNG plant located in Bonny, Rivers State, as well as drilling and production in the Bonga Southwest deep offshore oil field, which could potentially increase Nigeria’s oil reserves by more than one billion barrels.

When contacted, Bamidele Odugbesan, the Media Relations Manager, Shell Nigeria, said the company was embarking on the ambitious investment programme even while the security situation remained volatile in the Niger Delta region, further noting that the safety of Shell staff and contractors in Nigeria remains the top priority for the company.