Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: one_less who wrote (3738)	10/30/2006 4:43:42 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 10087

Nigerian villagers vacate two of four oil stations By Austin Ekeinde Mon Oct 30, 5:18 AM ET PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (Reuters) - Villagers in Nigeria's southern Rivers state have vacated two of four oil pumping stations they were occupying in a dispute with oil companies, a local community leader said on Monday. In a separate incident, a source at Italian oil firm Agip, owned by oil and gas group Eni said community youths in neighboring Bayelsa state had invaded an oil pumping station at Clough Creek on Saturday night and were occupying it in a dispute with the company. An Eni spokesperson said there was practically no impact on the company's production there. Members of the Kula community in Rivers invaded four flow stations last Wednesday demanding contracts from the operators, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. The occupation reduced Nigerian crude output by about 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), on top of about 500,000 bpd that have been shut down since February following a wave of militant attacks on the oil industry across the Niger Delta. "As a mark of respect for the state government we have allowed the reopening of two flow stations, Ekulama I and Belema," said Kula community leader Dan Opusingi. Both those stations are operated by Shell but a company spokesman could not confirm Opusingi's information. Ekulama I, which normally pumps 9,000 bpd, was already shut down prior to the invasion by villagers because of fighting between militants and troops earlier in the day. Before the siege, Shell and Chevron were pumping about 60,000 bpd from Belema, Ekulama II and Robertkiri. It was not immediately clear whether Belema had resumed production after the villagers left. Opusingi said the two oil majors had rejected the community's demand for contracts to supply speed boats and food to the oil platforms located deep in the mangrove creeks of Rivers state. "We have lost trust in the companies," he said, adding that a meeting was planned for Monday evening between the community, the companies and the Rivers state government. "The outcome of today's meeting will determine if we will reopen the remaining two flow stations or go back to the status quo," he said. Disputes between oil companies and communities who accuse them of not keeping promises of jobs and development are common in the impoverished Niger Delta, which accounts for all of Nigeria's oil and gas production. ( Additional reporting by Svetlana Kovalyova in Milan) news.yahoo.com