LAGOS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Oil major Shell's (SHEL.L) Nigerian subsidiary is investigating reports that an illegal oil tap ran for nine years on a pipeline it operates, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. An NNPC spokesman said on Sunday the theft point extended from the Trans Escravos pipeline and that the Afremo platform, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), was the suspected exit point of the stolen crude. or any unauthorised use of the equipment on it," an SPDC spokesperson said in an email. Large-scale theft from Nigeria's pipelines has throttled exports, forced some companies to shut in production and crippled the country's finances. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting By Libby George; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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