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Between 1997 and 2005, the amount of oil and oil products spilled from our operations for reasons we can directly prevent, like corrosion or operational failures, declined gradually. Spills from sabotage or extreme weather, like hurricanes, have fluctuated with events.

Spill volumes from corrosion or operational failures rose slightly in 2006, largely because of two big spills in Nigeria. In the first one, a buried pipeline was damaged while laying another. The second was caused by corrosion. The resulting loss of oil accounted for nearly a quarter of the total amount we spilled in 2006. At sites in Nigeria that were shut down because of the security situation, reliable information about spills will not be available until we return to repair and restart operations. Elsewhere in Nigeria, in areas where we could operate, spills from corrosion and operational failures were at their lowest in seven years as better inspection and repair continued to improve performance.

Outside Nigeria, the number and volume of preventable spills continued to drop last year. In our upstream business, better pipeline inspection and maintenance has reduced preventable spills by almost 60% in Oman, for example, since 2000. In our downstream business, the number and volume of preventable spills were down again in 2006. We are tracking minor leaks more carefully and fixing their underlying causes earlier at our refineries and chemical plants. Our distribution network has also implemented a programme to proactively prevent spills through more focused inspection and maintenance of pipelines and tanks at storage depots, and through efforts to prevent spills from delivery trucks, particularly in Africa.

In 2006, 22 million tonnes of oil were carried on ships we control. Less than two tonnes were spilt, reflecting our strict operating procedures.