Mobil apologises for Nigeria oil spill

Mobil Oil's Nigerian subsidiary apologised and pledged payouts to fishing villages affected by Nigeria's biggest-ever oil spill.
The move followed reported street protests at Mobil's facilities in the town of Ibeno, in Akwa-Ibom state, after an underwater oil pipeline burst last week, releasing 1.6 million gallons of crude and blackening several stretches of beach.
In a full-page newspaper advertisement headlined "Mobil cares," the company paid a "full apology" to Nigerians, particularly those in coastal communities near the spill.
A leading Nigerian daily paper, the Guardian, reported that angry locals took to the streets and blocked access to Mobil's facilities at Ibeno.
The protesters, mainly fishermen, were said to be angered by the havoc the spill has caused in their fishing grounds.
The paper quoted Mobil as saying the company would hold reconciliation talks with representative communities in Lagos.
"Mobil's priority remains to protect the local communities and the environment potentially affected by the spill," the company said. "We will also pay compensation to individuals who incur legitimate damage as a result of the spill."
The apology was carried by several Nigerian daily papers. Mobil said much of the oozing oil had evaporated, adding that despite its best efforts to clean up the remaining mess, "small quantities" of crude appeared on sandy shores in southeastern Bayelsa state.
The company said it would continue clean-up efforts in marshes and beaches, using boats, skimmers, helicopters, planes and other specialised equipment.
Southeastern Nigeria's largely Christian population has long complained that the central government, which is dominated by northern Muslims, has ignored their concerns about the environmental impact of the country's oil industry.
The stricken coast is an important fishing ground for the ethnic minority Andoni people.