Rebels from Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta said on Monday an April 24 pipeline attack had shut down 350,000 barrels a day of production by Royal Dutch Shell and a company spokesman was not available for comment.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said that attack brought to more than 500,000 barrels a day of Shell’s production affected by its recent attacks. Shell said last week a previous bombing had hit 169,000 barrels a day of output.
MEND Statement in full:
Sent: 28 April 2008 14:39
Subject: Shell Pipeline Attack in Kula River
Our sources inside the Shell Petroleum Development Company has informed us today that the consequence of our April 24 attack on the Kula major trunk line is the distruption of a further 350,000 bpd, bringing the total shut-in so far to over 500,000bpd from the combined attacks.
Shell, we are told, received a directive from the government of Nigeria to conceal this figure to avoid panic and embarrassment. The government of Nigeria and the oil majors are in denial but the reality is that MEND will continue with this phase of its attacks until we have crippled every oil and gas pipeline in the Niger Delta before proceeding to the next phase of Operation Cyclone.
Jomo Gbomo