Shell’s Security Update on hostage release and situation at Cawthorne Channel
Reference the hostage taking incident at the Cawthorne Channel facility reported by the Port Harcourt ERT Commander over the past two days, I am pleased to inform you of the release of the five Korean nationals taken hostage. This is a welcome development. The situation at the Cawthorne Channel facility is quiet and there have been no further incidents. All staff have been evacuated from the complex as a precaution and the gas plant remains shut-in. An assessment of potential damage following the incident will be carried out when it is safe to do so.
We appreciate that there are likely to be feelings of apprehension and insecurity amongst staff as a result of these incidents. We advise all staff and personnel to remain calm and continue to exercise vigilance and due caution as they go about their normal activities. We also wish to assure all of you that the security arrangements in our accommodation and operational areas are constantly under review and improvements will be implemented in order to safeguard our staff, other personnel and infrastructure.
The Nigeria Crisis Team remains in place, and it will continue to provide guidance and coordination of all efforts being made to ensure the restoration of normalcy as speedily as possible.
Oil producing facilities in SPDC�s Western operation area, as well as the SNEPCO-operated EA field, remain shut down. Whilst the resumption of operations is important for Shell, Nigeria and the local communities, we will not restart our production operations until it is safe to do so. We take the security of our staff, contractors and the communities in which we work very seriously, and we will do everything we can to ensure they are not put at risk.
We will keep the security situation under close scrutiny and ensure that reasonable precautions and actions necessary to ensure the safety of our stakeholders are taken.