Nigerian militants say they attacked a Royal Dutch Shell oil facility, vow phased attacks

September 30th, 2009 China's Nigerian oil bid follows African setbacksNEW YORK — China is seeking large stakes in Nigerian oil after the Asian giant ran into problems with oil deals in other African countries, according to a media report Wednesday. The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that state-owned CNOOC Ltd., is trying to buy 6 billion barrels of oil — or a sixth of the proven reserves in Nigeria — a move that could put China in competition with Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Chevron, Total SA and Exxon Mobil Corp.

July 31st, 2009 Group: investigate Nigerian sect leader's deathMAIDUGURI, Nigeria — An international rights group is calling for an investigation into the death of the leader of a Nigerian Islamist sect in police custody. New York-based Human Rights Watch says reports that Mohammed Yusuf was shot and killed are "extremely worrying." Yusuf died in police custody Thursday night after a four-day manhunt for members of the extremist sect some call the Nigerian Taliban.

July 31st, 2009 LAGOS - At least 600 people were killed in clashes this week between the security forces and Islamist militants in Nigeria, the police said. The Nigerian Army said the battle against the militants will continue till the rebels are defeated.

July 30th, 2009 Nigerian army attacks Islamist mosque, kill scoresMAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Nigerian troops shelled the compound of an Islamist sect before attacking the mosque under gunfire from militants holed up inside, triggering a raging battle that left scores dead. Army commander Maj.

July 22nd, 2009 Nigerian militants free 6 tanker hostagesABUJA, Nigeria — A Norwegian oil services company says Nigerian militants have freed six of its crew members who were seized earlier this month from a chemical tanker. EMS Ship Management says crew members from the tanker Sichem Peace were released Tuesday night and will go to Lagos for a medical checkup before flying back to their home countries.

July 15th, 2009 Nigerian militants halt attacks in oil regionABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria's main militant group called a 60-day cease-fire Wednesday, halting its campaign of vandalizing oil installations and kidnapping foreigners after the government released an ailing rebel leader. The government freed Henry Okah on Monday — meeting a rebel demand — just hours after the main rebel group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, set fire to an oil depot and loading tankers in Lagos, Nigeria's economic powerhouse.

July 10th, 2009 Nigeria militants claim to destroy pipelineABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria's main militant group says its has destroyed a recently repaired Chevron oil pipeline. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in an e-mail statement late Friday that it destroyed the pipeline that leads to Chevron's export terminal.

July 6th, 2009 Nigeria militants claim to hijack chemical tankerABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria's main militant group said Monday it had seized a chemical tanker with six foreign crew members aboard and had attacked a second oil facility following a vow to step up the intensity of its attacks. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in an e-mail statement that the tanker was seized Sunday about 20 nautical miles from Escravos in the south of the country and would be held until further notice.

June 29th, 2009 NAIROBI/ABUJA - Nigeria's main militant group Monday said it had set a Royal Dutch Shell oil platform ablaze, the second attack since the Nigerian government last week offered an amnesty to militants. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has conducted a long-running campaign of sabotage in the oil-producing Niger Delta, cutting the West African nation's oil production by over 20 percent since early 2006.

June 27th, 2009 Russia's Putin invites role for Shell in SakhalinMOSCOW — Russia's RIA news agency says Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has invited Royal Dutch Shell PLS to participate in developing two oil fields on Sakhalin island. The news agency quotes Putin as telling Shell CEO Jeroen van der Veer that his company's participation in the Sakhalin 3 and Sakhalin 4 projects is "highly possible." In 2007, Shell was forced to sell its controlling stake in Sakhalin 2 to state-controlled Gazprom for $7.5 billion as the Kremlin stepped up pressure on foreign energy companies in an effort to consolidate control over Russia's largest hydrocarbon deposits.

June 26th, 2009 Oil below $70 as worries over US demand resurfaceOil prices followed stock markets lower on Friday and slipped below $70 a barrel as U.S. economic data showed that consumers' savings rate increasing faster than spending, renewing uncertainty over oil demand.

June 21st, 2009 Nigeria militants claim attack 2 Shell pipelinesABUJA, Nigeria — Militants in Nigeria say they have attacked two pipelines belonging to oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta says the pipelines were targeted by militant fighters before dawn on Sunday.

June 7th, 2009 Dutch navy escorting freed Nigerian tugboatTHE HAGUE, Netherlands — Somali pirates have released a Nigerian tugboat they hijacked 10 months ago and a Dutch navy ship is escorting it to a safe harbor, the Dutch Defense Ministry said Sunday. Defense Ministry spokesman Lt.

April 30th, 2009 AMSTERDAM - Four people were killed Thursday in an attack on the Dutch royal family during a public procession, police said. Film footage showed a small black car career through the crowds and crash into a monument next to an open-top bus carrying Queen Beatrix and other members of the royal family.

January 29th, 2009 LONDON - Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Thursday reported 2008 profits of $31.4 billion, despite a sharp fall in earnings in the last quarter due to tumbling oil and gas prices and the global economic downturn. Shell, the first major oil company to report results for last year, said profits for the final three months of 2008 fell to $4.8 billion, down 28 percent from the same period a year ago, and 56 percent lower than in the previous quarter.