Yet another attack yesterday, this time on an oil pipeline supplying crude oil to Agip’s Brass Export Terminal in Nembe Creek, Bayelsa State, had the opposite effect on crude oil as prices slumped 2.5 per cent to $69.55 a barrel on the back of news that there would be enough fuel supply in the United States to meet demand during the summer.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta claimed in a statement that its fighters reached the pipeline after overpowering a Nigerian military gunboat and “all the soldiers numbering seven were dispossessed of their weapons.”
“The gunboat was stripped of its weapons before it was disabled by explosives. The soldiers pleaded for their lives to be spared and we did,” MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo said in an e-mail to journalists.
However, spokesman of the security Joint Task Force in the region, Colonel Rabe Abubakar denied that the pipeline was hit by MEND, insisting there had been a “skirmish.” He also denied the militants’ claims to have disarmed seven soldiers.
Rabe said from his base in Warri, Delta State: “There was an attack by a yet to be identified group of militants who came in five speed boats at about 3 a. m. on June 19, 2009 to attack a JTF location at Obioko near Nembe, Bayelsa State.
This led to serious exchange of fire between the armed hooligans and troops of JTF on duty there. The attack was botched and heavy casualties were inflicted on the attackers who were forced to flee.
“There was no casualty on our side and the facility we are guarding (Agip pipelines) is hundred percent safe.
“The snatching of a gunboat as claimed is laughable, as we don’t fight a dream war for cheap glory. Our men are not cowards; they are trained to counter any unwarranted person or persons in self defence.”
But Abubakar’s statement contradicted that from Agip which confirmed the attack to Bloomberg News from its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
“An oil pipeline supplying the Brass Export Terminal in Nigeria has been closed after it came under armed attack last night.
“Production was immediately shut off after an act of sabotage occurred on line 24 of the Ogida Manifold-Brass Terminal located in the Niger Delta,” the Rome-based Eni confirmed.
“The lost output totals 33,000 barrels a day, of which 16,000 belong to Eni,” the company said in an e-mail statement yesterday. Eni couldn’t immediately say whether the attack would cause a suspension of contractual delivery obligations.
Yesterday’s attack is the third of such this week purported to been carried out by MEND on oil installations in the Niger Delta.
On Wednesday, MEND claimed it blew up Shell’s major crude oil trunk line in Bayelsa State, as part of its campaign “to cripple oil and gas exports from Nigeria.”
Earlier on Monday, MEND also claimed to have attacked a Chevron oil station in the Niger Delta and threatened further attacks in other states in the region, as well as on offshore oil facilities.
Together, the attacks have cut at least 133,000 barrels of daily output.
Jun202009