Gunmen in the Nigerian Bayelsa State stormed a military checkpoint owned by the Shell Petroleum Development Agency in three boats recently, according to Dryad Global’s latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory (MSTA) report, which was updated on 2nd May
One person died and one member of military personnel was injured during a gunfight, the MSTA outlined. Rigzone has asked Shell for comment on the incident but has not yet received a reply at the time of writing.
Also in Nigeria, the country’s senate passed a bill imposing a jail sentence of at least 15 years for paying a ransom fee for someone who has been kidnapped, and the act of kidnapping is now punishable by death, the MSTA highlighted.
“It remains unclear how the new law will be enforced and how this would impact the payment of ransom by K&R insurance on behalf of the shipping companies,” the MSTA noted.
Looking elsewhere, the MSTA pointed out that numerous European port workers and protestors across Europe have refused to unload Russian oil tankers.
“Dutch dockworkers refused to unload a tanker carrying Russian oil after it was rejected entry to Swedish, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam ports,” the MSTA stated.
“The European Union has thus far excluded oil and gas from its stringent sanctions on trade, however, it is set to propose a ban on Russian oil by the end of the year with restrictions on imports introduced gradually until then,” the MSTA added.
“Nonetheless, there is an impetus amongst many European dockworkers to refuse to unload the oil in a show of ‘international solidarity despite the absence of sanctions,” the MSTA continued.
Dryad’s latest MSTA also noted that the force majeure at Marsa El Brega continues in Libya due to protests demanding Prime Minister Dbeibah step down.
“On 1 May 2022, the NOC announced the ‘temporary lifting of the force majeure from the Zeuitina oil terminal’ to allow two tankers to load to allow for enough space to store the displaced volume of the crude oil,” the MSTA stated.
“The concessions in addition to the resumptions of operations at El Sharara oil field signal the potential of the series of force majeures being lifted shortly,” the MSTA added.
Dryad Global’s previous MSTA was updated on the 25th. April highlighted that an explosion at an illegal oil refining depot in the Nigerian Rivers state left more than 100 people dead. This MSTA also pointed out the refining effects of clashes between government-allied militias in Al-Zawiya and noted that reports indicated that Houthi Rebels had continued their attacks on the Marib government stronghold despite a truce.
•By Andreas Exarheas|Rigzone Staff
andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com