Nigerian rebels attacked Royal Dutch Shell's Bonga oil field off the coast of Nigeria today, shutting down production, industry sources said.
Offshore staff
NIGERIA -- Nigerian rebels attacked Royal Dutch Shell's Bonga oil field off the coast of Nigeria today, shutting down production, industry sources said.
The strike on the FPSO that pumps crude from 16 subsea wells some 120 km (75 mi) off the Nigerian coast stopped output from the deepwater facility, which has a nameplate capacity of 220,000 b/d.
The rebel Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks. MEND has destroyed nearly 25% of Nigeria's oil producing capacity, according to published reports.
After the attack, the gunmen kidnapped the captain of a separate oil supply vessel, industry sources said.
Bonga field began production in November 2005 and accounts for about 10% of Nigeria's current daily output.
