Marauding: Mend hits Okan manifold.
Chevron confirms Okan attack
Nigeria's main militant group said today it had sabotaged a Chevron oil facility and seized a chemical tanker and six crew members, the latest in a string of attacks in Africa's biggest energy producer.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) said it had attacked US supermajor Chevron's Okan manifold late yesterday in the southern Delta state, hours after it sabotaged an oil wellhead operated by Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell.
The military confirmed the attack.
"The criminals attacked another pipeline in Delta state yesterday. The pipeline belongs to Chevron," Rabe Abubakar, spokesman for the military task force, said in a Reuters report.
Chevron, which halted swamp operations in Delta state following attacks on its pipelines in May, said it was investigating the report.
Chevron, Shell and Italian energy firm Agip have cut output by around 273,000 barrels per day in the last six weeks following the latest campaign of militant violence.
Mend also said today it had seized a chemical tanker and six crew members off the coast of Escravos in the Niger Delta.
It said three of the hostages were from Russia, two from the Philippines and one from India.
"Six crew members from the chemical tanker Siehem Peace was seized about 20 nautical miles from Escravos on Sunday ... and will be held until further notice," said Mend, who threatened further offshore attacks.
The military said it was trying to establish contact with the kidnappers.