Lagos (Platts)--20Aug2012/905 am EDT/1305 GMT

ExxonMobil's Nigerian oil producing unit said Monday it is assisting in the clean-up of an oil spill on Niger Delta shoreline, although it denies the crude leaked from its production facilities.

Villagers from the coastal community of Ibeno, in southern Akwa Ibom state, first reported sighting the oil spill along the shoreline near ExxonMobil's facilities August 14.

"Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited confirms it is assisting with the clean-up in cooperation with local authorities," the company said in a statement.

"The source of the hydrocarbon remains unknown as fingerprinting of collected samples is ongoing," the company said, adding that it remains committed to ensuring that the health and environment of its host communities are protected.

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The local community is, however, pinning the spillage on ExxonMobil and warned of clash with the US oil giant.

A spokesman for the Ibeno/Eket community, Uqua Paul, said in a statement that the company must take responsibility for the spill as ordered by state-run National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA).

"It has come to our notice that the oil spill agency has ordered them to clean up the contaminated shoreline but for one week now nothing has happened," said Paul.

"If Mobil dares the regulator, it means that they are up to something and we shall not allow them to get away with this," he added.

Oil spills have pitched foreign oil companies including Shell, Chevron and Total against communities in the Niger Delta region, who claim the spills have ravaged their farmlands and polluted their environment.

The companies blame the majority of the spills on thieves targeting pipelines and production facilities to steal crude and petroleum products.

A landmark United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) report in August last year, blamed the Nigerian government and multinational oil companies, particularly Shell, for 50 years of oil pollution in the Niger Delta.

--Staff, newsdesk@platts.com
--Edited by Alisdair Bowles, alisdair_bowles@platts.com

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