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TEXACO declares force majeure, suspends production

    ABIDJAN

    The US oil giant Texaco has suspended production in the Niger Delta after armed youths attacked and boarded two oil rigs demanding compensation for an oil spill, news reports said on Tuesday.

    As a result, the firm shut down six offshore platforms that collectively produce 50,000 barrels a day, Reuters reported. The company has declared “force majeure”, meaning it has informed buyers of its inability to meet scheduled deliveries.

    The attackers, from Bayelsa State in the Delta, are demanding compensation for an oil spill in June 1998. However, Texaco says the youths cannot substantiate their claim.

    In all, 60 Nigerian employees and contractors worked on the Funiwa and North Apoi platforms, Reuters said. Texaco, it added, holds a 20-percent state in the joint venture, which it operates for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The NNPC holds a 60-percent stake and the US firm Chevron Corp. holds the remaining 20 percent, Reuters said.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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