Shell and Chevron reopen facilities in Niger Delta

Four oil facilities belonging to Shell Petroleum Development Company and Chevron Texaco shut down earlier have been reopened.
The reopening of the flow stations followed a peace meeting brokered by the Presidential Committee on Niger Delta Disturbances which met with the oil companies and leaders of the community in Port Harcourt. The spokesman for the community, Mr Dan Opusiji told that youths have resolved to reopen the facilities.

Opusiji disclosed that the community gave the oil companies three weeks to implement a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) between the community and the companies. According to Opusiji, if at the end of three weeks nothing is done by the companies the community would return to status quo ante, that is, re-possession of the facilities.
Describing Kula people as peace-loving people, Opusiji appealed to the companies to adhere to the agreement arrived at the meeting to ensure that this is the last time oil facilities would be closed down in the area. The points agreed upon at the meeting included the implementation of the local content issue in the GMoU, he noted.

It would be recalled that on October 25, youths from Kula community in Akuku Turo Local Government Area of Rivers State shut down Ekulema 1 and Ekulema two as well as Belema flow stations, which produced at least 141,000 barrels of crude per day.
The communities accused the companies of not giving due attention to employment of natives as some jobs that could be handled by locals were given to expatriates while the area did not have much to show after 45 years of oil production in the community.