An oil spill occurred on Tuesday in Ogale, near Port Harcourt, when a saver pit overflowed during flushing operations, Shell Nigeria reported.

The company’s spill response team contained the overflow and notified authorities. Arrangements are being made for a regulator-led joint visit to assess the cause and impact of the spill, a Shell spokesperson confirmed.

The Niger Delta region has been plagued by decades of oil spills, causing extensive environmental damage and affecting the livelihoods and health of millions in local communities.

An environmental advocacy group reported that the spill happened when an underground pit filled with crude began flowing into a pipeline linked to the Ogoni cleanup project.