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02/19/2006:

"Nigeria Militants Seize Nine Foreign Oil Workers"

WARRI, Nigeria -- Militants launched a wave of attacks across Nigeria's troubled delta region today, blowing up oil installations and seizing nine foreigners, including three Americans. The violence cut the West African nation's crude oil exports by at least 16 percent.

A fire was quickly put out on a Royal Dutch Shell platform that loads the company's tankers in the western delta, but the Forcados terminal's normal operations could not continue, halting the flow of 400,000 barrels a day.

"We can't load because there is some damage to the loading platform," Shell official Donald Boham said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Nigeria is Africa's leading oil exporter and the United States' fifth-largest supplier, normally producing 2.5 million barrels a day.

On Friday, Shell shut down a facility pumping 37,800 barrels of crude daily after an unexplained blaze at a nearby oil well. And the firm has yet to restore 106,000 daily barrels lost when a major pipeline supplying the Forcados terminal was hit in a similar wave of attacks and hostage takings last month.

Oil prices jumped more than $1 and settled near $60 a barrel Friday on supply concerns sparked by a militant threat to wage war on foreign oil interests.

In an e-mail to The Associated Press today, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta claimed responsibility for the attacks, including the raid in which militants abducted three Americans, two Egyptians, two Thais, one Briton and one Filipino.

The group, which claims to be fighting for a greater local share of the country's oil wealth, said the attacks were carried out in retaliation for assaults this week by military helicopters. The militants threatened more violence would follow on "a grander scale."
latimes.com


US demands release of abducted Nigeria oil workers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States called for the unconditional release of three American oil workers abducted in Nigeria on Saturday and said it was working with Nigeria's government to try to secure their freedom.

Militants seeking more local control over the vast oil wealth of the Niger Delta region stormed an offshore barge operated by U.S. oil services company Willbros Group Inc. in predawn attacks and abducted nine workers -- three Americans, one Briton, two Thais, two Egyptians and a Filipino.

"We can now confirm reports that three American oil workers have been taken hostage in Nigeria. We call for their unconditional release and are working with the Nigerian government on this," said State Department official Noel Clay.

Michael Collier, vice president of investor relations for Willbros, said he could not release the identities of the employees involved until they were confirmed and their families notified.

"We have a crisis management team already in action," he said by telephone from Houston. The company was gathering information and could not discuss details, he said.

Willbros said later it had no plans to move any of its 3,000 employees out of the country. Royal Dutch/Shell Group said it withdrew its staff from its EA oilfield in Nigeria.