In a brief statement, Exxon Mobil’s Nigerian subsidiary said “unknown armed persons” on Sunday night boarded the oil rig operating off the coast of the Niger Delta. The subsidiary did not say whether anyone had been hurt during the attack nor if it affected oil production.
“Relevant government and security agencies have been informed and appropriate response measures are under way at this time,” the statement read.
An official with a private security told The Associated Press that attackers targeted a rig operating off the coast of Akwa Ibom state. The official said it appeared no expatriate workers had been kidnapped during the attack.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to journalists.
Exxon Mobil operates primarily in Akwa Ibom, where its large oil tanks graced with a Pegasus logo run along the beaches and the company maintains its own airfield there.
The gas-flared flames of its offshore oil platforms often can be seen across the horizon.
By focusing on offshore exploration, Exxon Mobil has avoided many of the troubles facing foreign oil firms operating in the Niger Delta, a region of swamps and snaking creeks rutted with mangrove trees about the size of South Carolina. However, community protests against the company occur regularly, as locals remain upset over oil slicks that kills fish and wash up on shore.
The attack comes about a week after the kidnapping of seven foreigner workers from an oil rig for London-based Afren PLC. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the main militant group in the region, claimed responsibility the kidnapping. The workers kidnapped include two workers from the United States, one from Canada, two from France and two from Indonesia.
