Shell Petroleum Development Company, on Tuesday, began moving its personnel and equipment to its abandoned fields in the Niger Delta region.
The exercise was conducted under heavy security cover provided by the operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Restore Hope.
The heavily armed troops of JTF were deployed in house boats and ocean-going vessels, as well as barges, which conveyed the oil workers and materials from Warri to the various fields in Bayelsa and Delta states.
But fear still gripped the oil workers as they reluctantly boarded the house boats.
Tuesday�s exercise was a prelude to the commencement of operations at the fields that had shut down since February in the wake of the crisis in the oil industry in the region.
The closure of many production platforms in the region has led to the loss of 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil in the past nine months.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that personnel and production equipment were dispatched to the fields through Ogunu Water Jetty, known as Crawford Creek, on Tuesday.
Our correspondent, who visited the jetty, reported that technicians left for the fields ahead of the production equipment in a number of house boats to appraise the extent of damage to the facilities while the crisis lasted.
The oil major and militants in the region had on Saturday, signed an undertaking which led to the inauguration of re-entry process into the fields in Bayelsa and Delta states.
The militants agreed to the immediate and safe return of SPDC to the fields.
The peace accord was facilitated by a Presidential committee headed by a former Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan.
It was gathered that SPDC would re-start with a joint investigation visit to Egwa and Jones Creek communities on Tuesday.
Reliable SPDC sources said the firm would accord priority to community development and licence to operate, which means the final authorisation by the host communities that the oil firm could commence production activities.
Our source said operations would commence in due course.
The External Relations Manager, Western Division, SPDC, Mr. Harriman Oyofo, confirmed in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Warri that the deployment of personnel and equipment in the fields, began on Tuesday.
Oyofo said that the re-entry would commence with JIV inspection and expressed appreciation to all stakeholders who made the latest development possible.