No plan to leave Niger Delta, says Shell
From Kelvin Ebiri (Port Harcourt)
THE spate of hostage taking, vandalisation of oil facilities and other terrorist activities in the Niger Delta targeted at foreign oil companies notwithstanding, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has no plans to leave the troubled oil-rich region.
The company's new Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Dale Rollins, stated this at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after his maiden visit to the state governor, Peter Odili.
Rollins told journalists that despite the kidnapping of expatriate oil workers and vandalisation of oil facilities, Shell was staying put in the Niger Delta, which it considered very strategic to its operations.
According to Rollings, Shell had plans to make Niger Delta "better and brighter for the people." Indeed, plans were already in top gear to give indigenous contractors more opportunities, particularly those from the host communities.
Rollins said the essence of this was to ensure that local contractors participate in Shell's project execution.
He noted that there was a pressing need for more foreign participation in the Nigerian oil sector because it would enhance competition and promote efficiency.
Meanwhile, groups like the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has repeatedly urged the Federal Government to consider allocating the Ogoni oil concession to a new operator other than Shell if the country wanted early commencement of oil exploration and exploitation in Ogoni.
On February 18, last year, a militant group called Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), fighting for indigenes of the Niger Delta to control the oil and gas resources, in the area, blew up oil pipelines and a tanker-loading terminal at Forcados belonging to Shell, thereby forcing the Anglo-Dutch and biggest oil and gas firm in Nigeria to suspend 477,000-barrels-a-day operations.
Just last year, the group also detonated a car bomb at Shell's Residential Area (RA) at Rumukrushi, along Aba-Port Harcourt express road, in Port Harcourt, forcing most of the expatriates to send their families out of the country.
