ShellNews.net: FINANCIAL TIMES ON ROYAL DUTCH SHELL NIGERIAN PRODUCTION SHUT DOWN: Thursday 18 August 2005: NY 03.00 ET

FT REPORTS ON ROYAL DUTCH SHELL NIGERIAN PRODUCTION SHUT DOWN: Thursday 18 August 2005: 03.00 ET

ShellNews.net introduction by Alfred Donovan: Quite correctly, citizens in the oil rich Arab nations have benefited from their own natural resources and are now among the wealthiest people in the world. They have considerable power, influence and respect. It is impossible to reconcile that situation with what has happened in Nigeria where the population has been oppressed and exploited by Shell and successive Nigerian regimes and Ogoniland has been subjected to long term ecological degradation. While the Ogoni people sit on top of oil fields, but remain abysmally poor, the disgraced Sir Philip Watts sits on an $18 million (US dollar) pension pot. It is simply obscene and indefensible. After yet another document meant for consumption solely by Shell management was leaked to the press in mid June 2004, Shell was forced to admit that its actions in Nigeria fed “a vicious cycle of violence and corruption”. The continuing protests should be viewed against that backdrop.

FINANCIAL TIMES: NIGERIAN PROTEST SHUTS DOWN RIVERS STATE OIL PRODUCTION

Published: August 18 2005

Shell yesterday shut down 14,200 barrels of daily oil production in Nigeria after community groups surrounded two of its facilities in Rivers State, in the oil-rich south-east of the country.

Shell normally produces more than 1m barrels of oil a day in Nigeria as part of a joint venture with Eni of Italy, Total of France and the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Shell is Nigeria's largest oil producer.

The community groups from Rukpokwu, Rivers State, surrounded the Agbada 1 flowstation in the Niger delta, said Shell, shutting down 14,200 barrels of daily production.

It was reported that the groups were protesting about a lack of compensation following an oil spill at the end of 2003.

ARTICLE ENDS

Some related newspaper reports are accessible below.

Mail on Sunday: Shell chief 'had a private army' 

Daily Times: Shell's corrupt shell game in Nigeria

The Observer: UK firms face lawsuits as Watts quits ICC post

London Evening Standard: Shell facing court over 'rights abuses'

The Independent: Shell faces human rights grilling

BBC2 TV “Newsnight”: Oil gangs threaten Nigerian unity: “The Niger Delta is, effectively, America's reserve fuel tank. If the Delta conflict spirals out of control, it could destroy Nigeria's unity and disrupt the global balance of oil supply. That is the doomsday scenario - and completely avoidable according to experts in conflict resolution.": “A report for the oil company Shell explains the role of the armed gangs at local level in the elections of 2003": "With the return of democracy... these groups became even more prominent as local politicians and parties supplied youth groups with money, weapons and political/legal immunity... in the run up to elections. "Once elections were over, these rewards were not forthcoming. Rather than returning weapons, these groups engage themselves in a range of criminal activities." (Peace and Security in the Niger Delta, WAC Global Services, December 2003) (ShellNews.net) Posted 17 Nov 04

RELATED CONFIDENTIAL REPORT:ShellNews.net: LEAKED SHELL CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL REPORT ON SHELL’S ACTIVITIES IN NIGERIA BY WAC Global Services Dec 03: “PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE NIGER DELTA”.

The Observer (UK): Britain honours hanged hero as legal war rages on: “In the US courts he is pursuing a legal action against Shell, accusing the oil giant of aiding and abetting the torture and murder of Saro-Wiwa and other members of the Ogoni tribe…” (ShellNews.net) 20 March 05

The Guardian (UK): Fight to the death: As the 10th anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa approaches, William Boyd remembers a courageous friend and fellow writer who took on Shell and the Nigerian government: “He became a David who challenged two redoubtable Goliaths: a multinational oil company and a corrupt military regime”: “He built a case against Shell and the Nigerian government that was impossible to refute” (ShellNews.net) 23 March 05

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