Nigeria’s 50 000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Okono/Okpoho oilfield has declared a force majeure after eight foreign workers were briefly abducted from the offshore facility on Thursday, a ship agent said.
The force majeure, a legal move that absolves the operator of contractual obligations to export oil, will affect a tanker that was due to berth at the field on Friday, GAC shipping agents said in a daily note.
“The terminal operators have declared a force majeure,” GAC said.
Saipem and SBM Offshore are operators of the Okono/Okpoho oilfield. The companies were not immediately available for comment.
The eight hostages were released six hours after being abducted from the facility – a stationary ship which produces, stores and exports crude oil – located 55km off the coast of the Niger Delta.