Expatica news

Shell to remain in Nigerian delta

16 January 2006

AMSTERDAM — Royal Dutch Shell insisted on Monday it has no plans to abandon its activities in the Nigerian river delta region.

The energy giant evacuated 326 workers and contractors from four flow stations in the swampy region on Sunday. This followed a bomb attack on the pipeline linking them to the main export terminal last week.

The violence effectively “shuts in” 106,000 barrels of oil carried daily by the pipe. This amounts to 10 percent of Shell’s capacity in Nigeria.

Shell announced it had no plans for a wider pull out following rumours its was about to be driven out by the violence.

The multinational has faced hostility for some time from impoverished locals who claim Shell has done little to help the estimated 20 million people in the region.  The oil industry is a multi-billion-dollar business.

Armed men of the Ijaw ethnic group killed at least one person and injured ten others on the Benisede flow station in Bayelse State in an early-morning raid, The Times reported. It was the fourth such attack in five days.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2006]

Subject: Dutch news