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Piracy high in Nigeria

Nigerian piracy did not decline last year Nigerian piracy did not decline last year. It merely moved elsewhere, according to analysis by the Denmark-based maritime security intelligence concern Risk Intelligence.Hellenicshippingnews.com quoting Tanker Operator, said in total, Risk Intelligence recorded 70 Nigeria-related attacks against offshore oil and gas and maritime targets in 2011 - up from 58 recorded in 2010.Pirates began to focus on product tankers in December 2010, when they attacked the Italian tanker 'Valle di Cordoba' off Cotonou.Last year, they attacked 30 tankers off Lagos, Lomé, and Cotonou and two more off the Niger Delta."The 24 attacks in the international waters offshore Benin and Togo in 2011 were an opportunistic move, driven by internal Nigerian developments" said Dirk Steffen, Risk Intelligence's director of consultancy. "These included the amnesty for former Niger Delta militants, fuel subsidies and political pressure on criminal networks in Nigeria."The pirates hijacked 14 vessels for short periods and transferred petroleum product cargoes into small tankers."Evidence provided by ship's crews and by the Nigerian Navy suggests that several of the receiving vessels were operating for Nigerian interests out of Lagos and the Niger Delta. Those appear to have close links to the long-standing illegal oil bunkering business ...

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Chevron : Update on Rig Incident Offshore Nigeria

Two Workers Missing Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) said that an extensive search and rescue effort continues for two contractors who remain missing after yesterday's fire aboard the K.S. Endeavor, a drilling rig offshore Nigeria operated by FODE Drilling Nigeria Limited. While Chevron's highest priority remains the rescue of the missing contractors, the company continues to devote the necessary resources to resolve the rig incident in a responsible and timely manner.As previously reported, the K.S. Endeavor was drilling a natural gas exploration well for Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL). The well is located in the Funiwa Field approximately six miles (10 kilometers) offshore and in approximately 40 feet (12 meters) of water.Chevron reports that 152 workers on the rig and an associated barge were safely evacuated. They are now onshore and have been given medical examinations. Two remain hospitalized due to minor burns, while others are being held for further observation.While a full investigation is still under way, Chevron said initial indications point to the possible failure of surface equipment during drilling operations that led to a loss of well control. The well continues to burn and the rig has partially collapsed. At this time, the company cannot estimate how long the ...

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Chevron Nigeria rig still on fire, 2 missing

Fire broke out on a drilling rig in Chevron's Funiwa oil facility Two workers were missing after fire broke out on a drilling rig in Chevron's Funiwa oil facility in southeast Nigeria on Monday, Chevron said."Search and rescue has successfully found 152 of 154 personnel. We expect all of those rescued to be onshore and checked medically. The fire is still burning. Early well control activation is ongoing," Chevron spokesman Scott Walker said.Local people reported a loud explosion on the rig early on Monday. "I heard a really loud bang and there was a fire," local village chief Young Fabby, 55, said by telephone.Walker earlier said Chevron was "still investigating the incident and ... working to fully understand what happened." He said the fire broke out on the K.S. Endeavor jack-up rig.There was some "sheen around the well that is being investigated," he said.Source: Reuters

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Gasoline tankers unable to deliver to Nigeria-sources

Strikes continue, ports are closed Gasoline tankers are unable to deliver supplies to Nigeria as strikes entering their fifth day have forced ports to close, trade and shipping sources said. Nigerian workers have been on strike over the lifting of a popular fuel subsidy that has led to prices more than doubling at the pump."Ports are shut, so yes it is affecting things. Nothing in or out at the moment," said a gasoline trader.Nigeria is Africa's largest oil exporter but relies on gasoline imports for around 85 percent of its domestic consumption because it lacks refining capacity. Tankers are being held outside ports at the expense of charterers, who are paying demurrage costs of around $18,000 a day."People waiting there have a huge issue on their hands... around 1 mln tonnes of gasoline waiting to offload," said a gasoline trader, adding he had cancelled plans to deliver two cargoes to Nigeria this week.Demurrage costs are payable to a ship owner by a charterer for a delay for which the owner is not responsible. Shippers say these costs have not increased despite the current strike."They (Nigerian shipments) are fairly prone to delays anyway but even more than usual now with the ...

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Maersk says unable ship goods into Nigeria ports

Port operations at a standstill Container group Maersk Line's ships carrying food and consumer goods are stuck outside Nigeria's ports as a fourth day of nationwide strikes have brought terminals to a standstill, a senior company official said on Thursday.Nigerians have taken to the streets across the country to protest against the government's decision to remove popular fuel subsidies, which more than doubled the price of petrol, shutting banks, shops and schools.Sonny Dahl, director, West Africa Services at Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipping company, said its container ships were unable to enter Nigeria's ports."Everything is at a standstill - there are no operations going on and everything is at a general strike level," Dahl told Reuters.Container ships normally bring in much of Nigeria's consumer goods and also transport foodstuffs.Dahl said eight of the company's container ships were affected by disruptions at ports across the country."They are carrying consumer goods of various kinds and foodstuffs," he said.He said some of the vessels were already anchored outside ports, while others would arrive in one to two days."We are consistently evaluating whether we should divert any of them to other ports (outside of Nigeria)," he said."For now, we have made a ...

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Maritime crime in Nigeria is alive and well

Nigerian piracy did not decline in 2011 Nigerian piracy has not declined in 2011; it has merely moved elsewhere, according to analysis by the Denmark-based maritime security intelligence company Risk Intelligence.For 2011, Risk Intelligence has recorded 70 Nigeria-related attacks against offshore oil & gas and against maritime targets - up from 58 attacks recorded for 2010. Nigerian criminals began to focus on product tankers in December 2010, when they attacked the Italian tanker Valle Di Cordoba off Cotonou. In 2011, they have attacked 30 tankers off Lagos, Lomé, and Cotonou and two more off the Niger Delta."The 24 attacks in the international waters offshore Benin and Togo in 2011 were an opportunistic move, driven by internal Nigerian developments" says Dirk Steffen, Risk Intelligence's Director of Consultancy. "These included the amnesty for former Niger Delta militants, fuel subsidies, and political pressure on criminal networks in Nigeria."The pirates managed to hijack 14 vessels for short periods, and transferred petroleum products into small tankers. "Evidence provided by ship's crews and by the Nigerian Navy suggests that several of the receiving vessels were operating for Nigerian interests out of Lagos and the Niger Delta. Those appear to have close links to the long-standing illegal ...

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Accusations fly as oil slick hits Nigeria coast

Nigerian villagers say oil washing up on the coast comes from Shell Nigerian villagers say oil washing up on the coast comes from a Royal Dutch Shell loading accident last month that caused the biggest spill in Africa's top producer in more than 13 years.Shell denies that any of the oil is from its 200,000 barrel per day (bpd) Bonga facility, 120 km offshore and accounting for 10 percent of monthly oil flows, which was shut down by the spill on December 20.Shell says five ships were used to disperse and contain the spill and that this kept any oil from washing ashore.But local villagers, as well as environmental and rights groups, dispute this account, saying the oil is still at large, coating parts of the coast, killing fish and sparking protests.On Saturday, a Reuters team visited two of 13 villages whose residents say they were affected by the spill in the steamy swamps of the Niger Delta. In both, there were stretches of beach coated in a film of black sludge with a rainbow tint.In one, two children skipped along the beach, dodging the puddles of sticky ooze.Villagers in Orobiri, Delta state, spent much of the day scooping crude ...

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How the Maritime Sector Fared in 2011

Maritime sector of Nigeria did not fare well in the outgoing year Policy inconsistency, poor implementation, and instability, among other factors combined to impede the actualisation of the huge potentials in the maritime sector of the Nigerian economy in 2011; writes John Iwori, who has been following the developments in the sector.More than anything else, the recent failure of Nigeria to clinch the coveted seat in Category C of the Governing Council of the global maritime watchdog, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) when the General Assembly of the world body met in London last month showed that the maritime sector of the Nigerian economy did not fare well in the outgoing year.The inability of top government officials to be on same page as Nigeria sought re-election at IMO headquarters was clear to discerning stakeholders, who witnessed how those who were saddled with the responsibility of championing the country's campaign allowed their self interest, pride and ego to rob Nigeria of the coveted seat.2011 was a year those in the maritime sector of the economy would not like to remember, as Nigeria's quest to retain the coveted position failed. It was a painful loss as Nigeria failed to retain the prestigious position ...

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Private investors will invest in maritime sector

Minister of Transport says Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar has expressed the readiness of private investors to invest in the maritime sector to the tune of 60 per cent equity.He also said that investors in the Greenfield port projects were even ready to construct what he described as "breakwaters" in their bid to ensure that the projects come on stream as early as practicable.He also stated that he was particularly happy that the Greenfield port projects in Lekki and Badagry (Lagos State) and Ibaka (Akwa Ibom State) were recording appreciable progress.A statement signed by the Assistant Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, quoted Umar as saying this at Dipcharima House, the corporate headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Abuja when the Senate Committee on Marine Transport led by its Chairman, Senator Zainab Kure paid him a courtesy call.According to Oladunjoye, who is an Assistant Director, Umar said he was happy that the Committee had visited some of the establishments and interacted with some of the stakeholders in the maritime sector to enable them understand the potentials, prospects and challenges in the highly lucrative sector.The minister expressed regret that the potentials in the ...

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