Ejiofor Alike
20 November 2008
Lagos — Nigeria's crude oil export has suffered another major setback as United States oil major Chevron yesterday declared a force majeure on its Escravos crude oil exports, until the end of the year, due to last Friday's militant attack on its pipeline.
Force majeure is a legal clause that allows producers to miss contracted deliveries because of circumstances beyond their control.
The pipeline that feeds into the Chevron-operated Escravos export terminal in Delta State was attacked last Friday, but no group has claimed responsibility.
In a statement last night, the oil firm said around 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil production were shut in, following a pipeline breach last Friday.
"This is due to breach on the main onshore pipeline carrying about 90,000 bpd to Escravos, Delta State. Repair plans are being prepared and it would be premature to estimate completion time," the statement said.
A company source said about 100,000 bpd of oil output may have been cut due to the attack.
The pipeline was located in Abiteye, where oil and gas facilities had suffered series of attacks since the renewed violence in the oil-rich region.
Suspected militants had in June blew up the Abiteye-Olero crude pipeline, forcing Chevron to cut around 120,000 bpd for nearly a month.
The production shut in, cut in the country's quota and the falling oil prices have delayed the presentation of the 2009 Appropriation Bill by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to the National Assembly.
President Yar'Adua had blamed the delay on the global economic crunch which affected the oil price benchmark on which the appropriation was initially predicated.
The 2009 budget was initially predicated on $62.5 oil price benchmark. It has now been brought down to $45.
Suspected militants had July 28 attacked Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Nembe Creek trunk line, which had culminated in production shut in of 130,000 barrels per day.
The militants had in 2006 blown up the Chanomi Creek pipeline, which feeds the Warri and Kaduna Refineries.
The development had forced the country to import all its petroleum products as the two refineries as well as the Port Harcourt Refinery were out of operation.
The Nembe Creek line was last attacked on May 26, prompting SPDC to declare a "force majeure" on Bonny Light crude exports for June and July.
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Ignoramus, if there is a phenomenon NOW called "Rhodesia", then Hitler, and to bring it home, NEGATIVE homey, Smithy Smith, and Governor Wallace, and so many other reactionaries in the West, NOW SIX FEET UNDER, LIKE YOUR "RHODESIA",sired in the uncomprehended irrationalist philosophies of race, xenophobia and other silly oddities EXIST.
Did you know, silly, that Cecil Rhodes was a THIEF, A STUPID, UCOUTH THIEF. Get with it, dude; Obama buried your generation. Tata.
IF YOU LIVE IN MARYLAND, THEN, I LET ME MAKE YOU AN OFFER: GO TO DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE, AND tell the brothers there, as you have stated herein, that "Africans are useless."
Cheers, and good luck, xenophobe!
The last time Iaws in Nigeria there was an attack on the pipe lines ,however ,that time 1500 people were severely burnt to death.Nigeria offered no assistance to those critically injured neighter did they welcome doctors to help the injured.Hello amI missing something here .Now this time there is an internal terrorist attack.Why cant they show the world a better picture of themselvew,Perry Fisher,MD
Show who? Why do we need to prove anything to you? Why can't the EU and US show better trading practices by respecting the locals' right to control their resources? Is it because they are richer and we are poorer? Perhaps it might be because "might is right"? Until Nigeria revises the colonial exploitative terms of its oil contracts with MNEs like Shell and Chevron that date back to the 1950s updated to the 21st century contract terms, the locals in the Niger Delta will continue to agitate for their rights and disrupt any attempt to undermine their economic viability & human existence. If the oil spills committed by the MNEs, that poisoned the Niger Delta's lands and wells, that prevented the local from farming & fishing - a trademark of the region's economy, if these exploiting practices were to occur in EU or US, I am sure that MNE would be out of business today - case in point - SS Valdez oil spill in Alaska, and remember how much (in the billions of dollars) that the oil company paid to cleanup the area within a month, plus substantial fine imposed by the US govt to serve as deterrent for other to dare not spill on US territory. In Nigeria, these companies spilled like faucets & have been doing so with impunity for as long as I can remember with no plan to clean up. Even they refused to heed to the Fed Govt's instructions to end gas flaring, plus they still owe us almost $2 Billion in taxes - whereas we paid $18 Billion to exit the Paris Club's Loan indebtedness of a mere $5 Billion. What are these MNEs doing here anyway? Running a slave plantation? Good business practices encourage good neighborliness, unless you missed those words of wisdom in primary school.
whouuuoou...thank you for your brief but thorough point. i often cant believe how some people still think so partially when it comes to Africa and African people.
Dude from Maryland, I NOW DECLARE A REFLECTIVE WAR ON YOU.
Apparently, having lost your racist anchor in the States, you have decided to ship your xenophobic crap to Africa.
I shall be following your verba soaked in racist crap wherever you post, until you cut the racist boto bata, and start REFLECTING, dude.
Reflect, I say, and this is a "useless" African DIRECTING you to REFLECT.
REFELCT: CUT THE SIDESHOW, BAMO!
And now this one is for you CHEVRON: WHERE IS THE ACT OF GOD?
Not even Blackstone can find it in this particular set of facts.
Get with, produce or get out!
Cheers.
Who is "they," xenphobic obscurantist? You can't even spell "themselves." Are you missing something, you ask?
Without peradventure, you are: a sound brain that accurately PERCEIVES the present.
Exhibit No. 1: you 'think' that "Rhodesia" still exists.
Fellow Africans, don't we need a shrink for this lost Yankee?
Regards.
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