PORT HARCOURT (AFP)--Nigeria is losing $180 million in revenue
monthly following the closure of a key offshore Shell gas plant in
the volatile Niger Delta, a Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA) spokesman
said Thursday.
Precious Okolobo told reporters in Port Harcourt that the
Anglo-Dutch oil giant was making efforts to repair the Soku plant,
which was shut down on Nov. 27, 2008 after its pipelines were
sabotaged.
The Soku plant, located in the swamps of the southern Rivers
State, accounts for some 40% of the gas feed to Nigeria Liquefied
Natural Gas Ltd.
NLNG supplies liquefied natural gas to markets in Europe and the
United States.
After the Soku pipelines were vandalized, Shell declared a force
majeure on NLNG.
Shell has a 26% stake in NLNG and the state-run Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation holds 49%. Other significant
shareholders in the gas venture are France's Total (TOT) and Agip
of Italy.
Shell has been a regular target of attacks by militants in the
Niger Delta over the past three years, forcing it to shut down some
facilities and several times defer contractual obligations to
clients.
Unrest in the Delta has reduced Nigeria's oil output by more
than one quarter, putting pressure on crucial export earnings.
Daily oil production in Nigeria currently stands at around 1.78
million barrels, against some 2.6 million barrels in 2006.