Niger Delta militants have launched multiple attacks on oil installations over the past 24 hours, reportedly targeting Shell's Forcados terminal again and additional sections of the AGIP crude oil pipeline as militants vow to bring the country's oil production to zero.
Nigerian officials have confirmed claims by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) of another attack Thursday on crude oil pipelines operated by Italian Eni's Nigerian Agip Oil Company in Bayelsa.
Claiming responsibility on its now famous Twitter feed for the attack, which targeted the Ogboinbiri-Tebidaba and Clough Creek-Tebidaba crude oil pipelines, NDA said, "This is in line with our promise to all international oil companies and indigenous oil companies that Nigeria oil production will be zero."
According to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the attacks took place on the pipeline after it had been shut down, "so there is no loss of crude or leakage."
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Immediately following this attack, the NDA claimed to have blown up a crude oil pipeline connected to Shell's Forcados terminal. Shell has not confirmed this attack, which the militant group said was in response to Shell's failure to comply with NDA demands to forego any repair work on the terminal, which was taken offline due to an NDA attack in February.
Also on Thursday, militants attacked a houseboat owned by the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), killing two soldiers and four civilian staff. The NDA, however, has not claimed this attack and denies any involvement, indicating that other militant groups are now surfacing.
"Killing of sleeping soldiers is not our style. We promise the world that, in this process of liberating our people, not a single [drop of] blood of Nigeria[n] soldiers will be wasted despite the provocation," the NDA said.
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Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari cancelled a planned visit to the Niger Delta Thursday. Earlier this week, militants said that if he visited the area he would be signing his own death wish.
As a result of the revival of Niger Delta militancy, Nigerian oil production is now down to 1.4 million barrels per day, according to some news agencies, while others put it at 1.1 million bpd, which would equal half of Nigeria's regular production.
By Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com
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This has huge implications for pension account holdings.