US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1477

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W 
STATE FOR INR/AA 
DEPT DS/IP/AF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, ASEC, CASC, NI 
SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 23 DELTA UPDATE 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reason 1.4 (D) 
 
 SECURITY UPDATE 
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1.  (C) Port Harcourt remains calm but nervously so.  An 
Amcit missionary and oil company contacts reported the city 
and most surrounding areas as being quiet.  Some contacts 
said many local citizens remained home and many businesses 
were closed throughout the day.  The police and military 
presence in the city has been enhanced.  Contacts in Yenagoa, 
Bayelsa State report calm there also. 
 
3.  (C) Willbros, an oil service company, reported that armed 
youths robbed their Choba facility 15 miles outside of Port 
Harcourt, making off with Naira 35 million (about 269 
thousand dollars).  There have been no reports of injuries of 
the 90-100 expatriates (some American) on the compound, 
although reportedly one police officer may have been killed 
and a Nigerian security guard wounded in the melee.  There 
are over 200 Nigerian employees on the compound as well. 
Governor Odili of Rivers State stated to the Consul General 
that he has deployed about 50 Mopol to the Willbros facility. 
 
4.  (C) Willbros plans to evacuate the vast majority of the 
employees tonight and Saturday, with any remaining staff to 
evacuate on Sunday. 
 
5.  (SBU) Chevron has reportedly shutdown 3 out of their 4 
facilities in Rivers State, possibly reducing output by 35 - 
40 thousand barrels per day.  The shutdowns were 
precautionary, and there has been no report of additional 
armed takeovers. 
 
6.  (C) A Chevron official reported that all of the 
expatriate employees except for one Amcit have been evacuated 
from Port Harcourt.  Shell reports normal operations in Port 
Harcourt, and field operations continuing with caution. 
Armed escorts are mandatory for all field travel.  ExxonMobil 
has evacuated 35-40 staff from Port Harcourt, including 12 
Amcits.  The security company Armourgroup also reported calm 
but is using this period to move non-essential personnel out 
of Port Harcourt.  Seacor stated that it has positioned a 
vessel off the coast of Rivers State, in case an evacuation 
is required. 
 
ACS REPORT 
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7.  (C) There are no reports of Amcits being hurt or missing. 
 There have been no requests for assistance. 
BROWNE