Nigeria's oil production has fallen by at least half a
million barrels per day (bpd), because of militant attacks in the Niger Delta
region, most claimed by a new group calling itself the Niger Delta Avengers, Reuters
calculations show.
The group has made multiple attacks on infrastructure
belonging to oil majors Shell, ENI and Chevron, vowing to reduce output to zero
in what is typically Africa's largest oil exporter.
The attacks have forced companies to declare force majeure
on Bonny Light, Brass River and Forcados crude oil, and in May helped to push
Nigeria's oil production to 22-year lows.
ExxonMobil's force majeure on Qua Iboe, declared after an
accident was lifted on June 3.
State oil company NNPC's spokesman Garba Deen Muhammad
said Nigeria's production had not dropped below 1 million bpd.
"Our position before the attacks was 2.2 million bpd,
but the attacks have affected production to the tune of about 600,000 to
700,000 barrels, so our current production level is hovering around 1.6 million
bpd," Muhammad said.
Reuters
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