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Shell evacuates Nigeria workers ; militants' aim "destroy oil exports"
The evacuations from Benisede and three other pumping stations will not affect production, already halted because of a pipeline attack last Wednesday. The latest attack helped put upward pressure on oil prices, with markets already worried about the nuclear standoff involving Iran, the world's fourth largest crude oil exporter. In London on Monday morning, the price for a barrel of Brent crude had risen by 19 cents to $62.45. In two attacks last week, militants ruptured a major pipeline feeding an export terminal and kidnapped four foreign workers from another Shell oil rig in the region. The hostages, who are still being held, come from the UK, the US, Honduras and Bulgaria, a Shell spokeswoman said. Correspondents say the move will increase pressure on Nigeria's government to crack down on ethnic Ijaw militants who want more control over the region's oil revenues. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the group that says it is holding the hostages, has demanded the release of separatist leader Mujahid Dokubu Asari, who is being held on treason charges, and former Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyaseigha, who is accused of money-laundering. "It must be clear that the Nigerian government cannot protect your workers or assets. Leave our land while you can or die in it," the group said in an email statement. "Our aim is to totally destroy the capacity of the Nigerian government to export oil." The kidnappings and explosion, the latest in a string of violent incidents in the troubled region, have slashed Shell's production there by some 220,000 barrels a day - almost 10% of Nigeria's average output of 2.6m barrels. Posted by: lotp 2006-01-16 |
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