Nigerian villagers force Shell plant closure

[struggle4progress]

Wednesday, August 17, 2005; Posted: 10:52 a.m. EDT (14:52 GMT)

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (AP) -- Hundreds of villagers angered over a compensation dispute forced the closure of an oil-pumping facility run by Royal Dutch Shell PLC, cutting production by 10,000 barrels a day, company officials and village leaders said Wednesday.

The closure on Tuesday of the Agbada I facility in the oil-rich Niger delta followed a breakdown in talks between representatives of Shell and five villages affected by an oil spill and fire 20 months ago.

Leaders from the Obio-Akpor district villages of the delta said Shell's offer of $938.60 was paltry and unacceptable. In a joint statement on Wednesday, they said the payment proposed by Shell for damages to farmland, fish ponds and local shrines signified "cruelty and inhumanity to the plight of our communities and people." <snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/08/17/nigeria.oil.ap/

[Roland99]

1. Damn. Ecuador and Nigeria. And Chavez threatening.

Who's ready for $5/gallon gas?


Raise your hands

[struggle4progress]

3. When ya say "raise yer hands" do ya mean "Put em up"? eom

[WiseButAngrySara]

2. I thought Royal Dutch Shell was one of the good ones...

$938.60 for... damages to farmland, fish ponds and local shrines signified "cruelty and inhumanity to the plight of our communities and people."

!!! Is this per capita or total?

[WatchWhatISay]

8. Or per acre?

Odd that the reporter on this would leave such an ambiguous question unanswered.

[Mairead]

9. You'd hope so, but apparently they're not. This isn't the first such

insensitive thing they've done. Cloggie capitalists are just like other capitalists, it seems.

[Frederik]

11. That's just PR

Shell and BP are better at perception management. There's no difference between these companies. Dissidents have been hanged in Nigeria for criticizing Shell, with Shell's tacit approval.

[IDemo]

12. They lied about their reserves several times

http://www.manifest.co.uk/manifest_i/2005/0503%20March/050306shell.htm

[Doremus]

4. 5th largest US supplier...

Ecuador is 8th, and Venezuela is 4th. All are either having supply problems or threatening to.

Wasn't it Goldman Sachs that said we're one broken pipeline away from $100/bbl? Wonder what they think about 2 near-misses and a maybe?

Neither the Saudis or non-OPEC countries can compensate for supply snags anymore. And considering how well loved we are in the global community, I'd be surprised if anyone busted their hump to help avert meltdown even if they could.

[shanti]

5. $938.60 for oil spill damage???

the oil mens' greed know no bounds! :grr: :grr: :grr:

[shanti]

6. $938.60 for oil spill damage???

the oil mens' greed know no bounds! :grr: :grr: :grr:

[SoCalDem]

7. Ahh.. the information age in action.. The days of taking advantage

of poor indigenous people are OVER..Things will get very ugly from here on.. Sounds like the Nigerians are deciding that the oil is actually THEIRS, and THEY should be the ones in charge of its sale and price...TO BENEFIT THEIR OWN COUNTRY..

[Mairead]

10. How dare they! Don't they understand how colonialism works! (nt)

[madeline_con]

13. Stand by for "civil unrest" and a....

"humanitarian crisis".

We'll have to send troops on a "humanitarian mission", to get the oil flowing again.