Avengers blow up three more oil facilities

 

                                         pipeline 

The Niger Delta Avengers launched three fresh attacks on the country’s oil facilities in the early hours of yesterday, threatening to bring oil production to zero level soon.

The group hit ENI’s Ogboinbiri-Tebidaba and Clough Creek-Tebidaba pipelines both in Bayelsa State and Shell Petroleum Development Company’s (SPDC) 48 inch export line at the Forcados Terminal, Burutu Local Government area of Delta State.

The group claimed on its Twitter account it had blown up the Ogboinbiri-Tebidaba pipeline hours after attacks on the Clough Creek-Tebidaba pipeline.

“At about 3:30am our (@NDAvengers) strike team blew up the Brass to Tebidaba Crude oil line in Bayelsa,” the group said.

In a second tweet, it said:”At 3:00 am today @NDAvengers blew up the SPDC Forcados 48″ Exportline.

“We warned SPDC not to go ahead with repair works but they refused. This is an example to all other multinationals.”

The attacks are the latest in the series of attacks that have been launched by the group.

The Avengers boasted that their violent acts have brought Nigeria’s oil production to just 800,000 barrels per day (bpd), from 2 million bpd, “without killing a soul.”

The ENI pipeline is used to transport Brass River crude.

Shell’s Forcados crude oil, where another pipeline was attacked overnight, has been under force majeure since February.

ENI did not immediately respond to a request for comment but Shell, in confirming the attack, said it was “yet to fully evaluate the potential impact and damage” caused by the attack.

The company, in a statement, confirmed “signs of a leak on the 48inch Forcados export pipeline at a location between shoreline and the Forcados terminal in the western Niger Delta, coming on the heels of a reported attack on the pipeline in the early hours of Friday, June 3.”

It added: “We are yet to fully evaluate the potential impact and damage to the pipeline resulting from this latest incident. We have, however, mobilised appropriate oil spill response measures and will be conducting a joint investigation visit to the leak site with relevant stakeholders.

“We are currently focused on securing the pipeline to protect the environment. Given this latest incident and the wider security situation in the Niger Delta, we are unable to determine probable timing of resumption of exports from the Forcados terminal.”

SPDC is the operator of the export line on behalf of the joint venture partners comprising NNPC (55%), SPDC (30%), Total E&P Nigeria Ltd (10%) and Nigerian Agip Oil Company (5%)

Four grades of Nigeria’s oil – Forcados, Brass River, Bonny Light and Qua Iboe – are under force majeure, though exports of the latter two have continued, and sources said ExxonMobil’s production had climbed back near to 300,000 bpd.

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr.Ibe Kachikwu, on Thursday put oil production at 1.6 million bpd.

The Avengers, in a separate electronic statement, denied involvement in Wednesday night’s attack on a military house boat post in the Warri South Lcal Government Area of Delta State in which seven persons, including three soldiers, died.

It said its operational code prohibits the shedding of innocent blood.

It vowed to go after the killers of the seven persons and bring them to book.

“Killing of sleeping soldiers is not our style,” it said.

“We promise the world that in this process of liberating our people, not a single blood of Nigerian soldiers will be wasted despite the provocation.”

“Even the inhumane Nigeria soldiers are exempted. Our war is on oil installations, not to take innocent lives. For the fact we can’t give life, we also don’t have the power to take any life.

“But we (Avengers) are assuring the families of the affected soldiers that we will bring the culprits to book.

“When it’s time to face the military in combat, let the whole world know that we won’t be the ones to throw the first punch.

“This message is going to all groups parading themselves as freedom fighters. You can fight for your people without killing innocent souls.

“NDA have proved we were able to drop Nigeria oil production from 2 million barrels to just 800,000 barrels without killing a soul.

“We are warning every group to follow our footsteps. The days of killing and kidnapping are over.”