News on Nigeria.
Thursday reportedly saw another kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea, this time off Benin, where ten seafarers were abducted from a tanker.
A few days ago, pirates attacked a dredger off the Forcados terminal in Nigeria. Four security guards were allegedly killed during the attack, and three crew members were subsequently abducted, according to a report by a security firm.
Nigerian authorities are demanding taxes for a total of USD 20 billion from a series of foreign oil companies operating in the country. These companies include Equinor, Shell and Total.
Et containerskib ejet af Peter Döhle Schiffahrts og chartret ud til Maersk Line er lørdag blevet angrebet af pirater i Nigeria. 11 søfolk er blevet taget som gidsler, mens ni er i sikkerhed, skriver Maersk Line til ShippingWatch.
Shell and Eni are facing a big legal case in Nigeria. A suitcase containing thousands of documents has been uncovered in Geneva, constituting the latest development in the case regarding an oil field acquisition for USD 1.3 billion.
A total of 34 vessels have been attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea this year, and the geographic reach of Nigerian pirates is expanding, says EOS Risk Group in an update. The numbers confirm that the Gulf of Guinea is the new piracy hub.
The Nigerian Port Authority has lifted its suspension of four carriers at several of the country's ports. These carriers will now have to comply with certain requirements.
Maersk Line and three other carriers had to halt some of their activities in Nigeria on Saturday after the port authorities in the West African country announced a suspension at the end of last week.
African oil giant Nigeria's liquefied natural gas company NLNG will decide later this year whether to invest more than USD 10 billion to expand its capacity by 40 percent in an effort to not fall behind as an LNG player.
Amnesty International says that the organization can now prove that Shell was complicit in the brutal transgressions committed by the military in Nigeria in the 1990s, including murder, rape and terror. Find some of the documents here.
Six crew members have been kidnapped from a German container vessel off the coast of Nigeria. The Peter Döhle ship was attacked by a group of pirates in a speedboat.
Development of the container port in Lekki, Nigeria could perhaps become a new job for DP World, but it remains uncertain what exactly is going on and how great the potential is at the moment, writes Alphaliner in an analysis.
Terminal operator ICTSI will, with a mutual agreement, withdraw from a more than 20-year long concession arrangement in Lekki Port in Nigeria, abandoning the project entirely. The terminal project is located in the same region in Nigeria where APM Terminals is similarly struggling with a terminal venture.
The prospect of massive growth in Nigeria made the plans to build Africa's largest terminal in the country look like a clear winner when APM Terminals announced the project back in 2012. Today, the situation looks somewhat different.
It would be a bad step for OPEC if the organization of oil producing countries decides to freeze the oil production at its current high levels. A freeze could also possibly lead US producers to increase supply.
Nigeria's government has now, four years after the first plans were announced, given the go-ahead for what will be the largest port on the African continent, APM Terminals confirms to ShippingWatch.
Drilling company Pacific Drilling took an exchange rate hit of USD 2.9 million in the second quarter, which nevertheless ended positive due to a one-off income. A continued focus on costs also impacted the result.
The West African spot market for tanker has declined by four percent in the second quarter. In particular, this is attributable to attacks by Niger Delta Avengers on the country's oil infrastructure, writes Alphatankers in its most recent newsletter.
Rebel group MEND encourages another armed group, Niger Delta Avengers, to put its weapons down and participate in peace talks with the government. Attacks on oil facilities do not solve the problems with corruption and pollution, says a spokesperson.
While the Nigerian economy suffers from the decline in the oil price, the newly founded rebel group, Niger Delta Avengers, which has carried out several attacks on oil infrastructure in Nigeria, has also pulled piracy closer to terminals along the country's coastline, notes Risk Intelligence.
Nigerian oil production is being disrupted by attacks on the country's pipelines and terminal, carried out by rebel groups in the Niger Delta. This can spell bad news for tanker carriers, says shipbroker.
At no point did the case bring forth any evidence, claims Danish bunker carrier Monjasa after a court in Nigeria convicted a chartered vessel and 14 crew members for illegal bunker trading.
A tanker vessel from Danish bunker company Monjasa, two involved companies and 14 crew members have been convicted for illegal bunker trading in Nigeria, report several African media.
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