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Exxon denies it suspended loadings in Nigeria
ExxonMobil Nigeria denied a shipping agent report that loadings at its two major oil export terminals were suspended because of fears of attacks by militants.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 January 19, 2006
Lagos, Abuja: A spokesman for ExxonMobil Nigeria denied a shipping agent report that loadings at its two major oil export terminals were suspended because of fears of attacks by militants.
A manager at Gulf Agency Company said oil tanker loadings were suspended at Exxonmobil's Qua Iboe and Yoho terminals because of fears of attacks.
"We have not suspended any operations or production. Of course people are concerned about security, but none of our operations have been suspended," said ExxonMobil Nigeria public affairs manager Udom Inoyo.
Shell, the largest producer of oil in Nigeria's delta, said in a statement it was reviewing its staff deployment, after the militants repeated threats to target oil employees.
Royal Dutch Shell has evacuated more than 330 workers from four oil platforms in the Niger Delta after a deadly attack by militants on Sunday.
It shut 226,000 barrels per day of oil production, or 10 per cent of Nigerian output, for a combination of technical and security reasons.
ExxonMobil exports 400,000 barrels a day from the Qua Iboe terminal, and 150,000 bpd from Yoho, both located in the eastern end of the Niger Delta.
GAC said that most staff had been evacuated at both ExxonMobil terminals.
The company spokesman declined to specify what measures had been taken as a precaution.
"We have not done anything to suspend operations at the loading terminals or in production," he said.
Meanwhile, Nigerian militants have already attacked oil platforms operated by France's Total and Italy's Agip, a unit of ENI, and will also target Chevron in their sabotage campaign, they said yesterday.
None of the three companies were able to offer immediate comment.
"The reports of attacks on Agip and Total flow stations are correct. We have decided not to limit our attacks to Shell oil as our ultimate aim is to prevent Nigeria from exporting oil," the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in an e-mail statement to Reuters.
"We will attack all oil companies including Chev-ron facilities."
"Pipelines, loading points, export tankers, tank farms, refined petroleum depots, landing strips and residences of employees of these companies can expect to be attacked. We know where they live, shop and where the children go to school," the group said.
IEA keeps close eye on situation
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is keeping close watch on developments in Opec member Nigeria, where militant attacks have cut exports by a tenth and raised consumer fears of bigger supply disruptions.
"We're monitoring the situation," said Lawrence Eagles, head of the IEA's oil industry and markets division. "This is a relatively small amount of capacity that has come offline for a small period of time."
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