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Youths invade Shell flowstations in Nigeria
AFP
LAGOS
Petroleumworld.com 10 26 06
A group of youths have invaded two flowstations belonging to Anglo-Dutch Shell in Nigeria's southern Rivers State, an official of the company told AFP on Wednesday.
"I confirm to you that the youths on Tuesday invaded Ekulama II and Belema flowstations. The Rivers State goverment has intervened and we believe and hope that the matter will be resolved quickly," said the official who demanded anonymity.
The official who neither commented on whether the invaded flowstations have been shut down nor their capacities, said that no hostages were taken during the attack.
"It is a minor community dispute and the Rivers State government is mediating in the matter," said the same official.
The official said that Ekulama I had earlier been shut down several weeks back following similar dispute with host communities.
The youths said earlier Wednesday that they invaded the flowstations in protest against non-implemention of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) the company signed with their communities.
Youths and armed groups in Niger Delta region have since the beginning of this year intensified their campaign for a greater share in oil revenue by engaging in killings, kidnapping of oil workers, mostly expatriates, and destruction of oil facilities.
Seven expatriate oil workers -- four Britons, a Romanian, a Malaysian and an Indonesian working as contractors for US oil giant Exxon Mobil -- abducted on October 3 in the restive region were freed Saturday.
The employees of Sparrow Offshore and Oceaneering International were kidnapped by unknown armed men who attacked an installation of the company in Eket, a major town in southeastern Akwa Ibom State.
Two Nigerian employees were believed to have been killed during the attack for which nobody claimed responsibility.
The kidnappings were the latest in a series of incidents in recent months that have slashed oil output of 2.6 million barrels per day in Nigeria -- the world's sixth largest producer -- by a quarter.
Around two weeks ago, about 60 Nigerian employees from Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell and subcontractor firms were captured in the southern state of Bayelsa before being freed two days later.
The week before that, another Shell plant was attacked in neighbouring Rivers State by around 70 heavily armed men. Fourteen soldiers were killed and 25 workers were kidnapped over the following two days.
Shell, which produces around half of Nigerian oil exports, is currently losing around 477,000 barrels per day in output due to the unrest.
According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the majority of the region's population live on less than a dollar a day. Oil exports account for around 95 percent of Nigeria's foreign currency receipts.
AFP 251643 GMT 10 06
Copyright ©2006 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
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