2 Pinoy oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria

LAGOS (AFP) — Two Filipino oil workers were kidnapped on Tuesday near the Nigerian oil city of Port Harcourt in the southern Niger Delta, officials said.

"It happened around noon today. The two are contract staff of PGS (Petroleum Geo-Services). They are workers of Bulford International," a spokesman for PGS told AFP by telephone from Oslo.

"Six armed men came in a boat and abducted the two Filipinos. They were not harmed or injured. We have no contact with them since the incident took place," he said.

"We are also making efforts to establish contacts with the abductors," said the official, who asked not to be named.

In Manila, the Department of Foreign Affairs was awaiting a report from the Philippine embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, that sent a representative to Port Harcourt after receiving the report on the latest abduction of Filipino workers.

DFA spokesman Gilberto Asuque said the embassy was looking into the abduction report.

Asuque said that chargé d’affaires Randy Arquiza of the Philippine embassy in Nigeria went to Port Harcourt to verify reports and that Arquiza will be coordinating with Nigerian authorities to provide the Filipinos with all the necessary assistance.

National police spokesman Haz Iwendi confirmed to AFP: "The two men were on the platform when they were captured at about noon today (Wednesday). There was no attack as such, according to available information so far."

"No group has yet claimed responsibility for the hostage-taking," he added.

The Nigerian navy said the kidnapping had taken place in Aker district, about 10 kilometers southwest of Port Harcourt.

Established in 1991, PGS specializes in onshore oil and petroleum production and marine geophysics, and has 2,800 permanent workers, according to its official website, www.pgs.com.

Since the beginning of this year, 31 foreign oil workers, including the two Filipinos, have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta.

All previous 29 captives have been released without harm after periods of detention ranging from several days to several weeks.

The Nigerian navy, which has lost several men in attacks by separatists against oil workers and oil installations, has tried to reinforce security in the region but the attacks continue unabated.

"We are surprised that they did not inform the navy of their movement plans," a senior naval officer told AFP of the Filipinos.

"The procedure is that we would provide an escort, therefore (there is a) need that we are informed of their movements. We are curious to know why they did not inform us, like other oil companies do," he added.

The Niger Delta, the main center of oil production in Nigeria, is a swathe of swamps of 74,000 square kilometers, where more than 3,500 oil and gas installations are located.

The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), an armed separatist group in the region, has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks there since January.

The militant group is demanding that a larger share of the region’s oil revenues be returned to the local population.

MEND kidnapped five foreign oil workers in early June. It freed them more than 36 hours later but threatened further attacks on the oil industry.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest crude oil producer, providing around 2.6 million barrels a day, and is the world’s six largest crude exporter.

The militants’ demand for the withdrawal of foreign oil workers from the region, MEND’s recent attacks and the spate of kidnappings have affected the oil industry, from which Nigeria derives 95 percent of its foreign exchange earnings.

The unrest has led to a reduction in Nigeria’s crude production by around 20 percent, has caused jitters in the international oil market and triggered an oil price hike.

Nigeria, which currently chairs oil cartel OPEC, hopes to increase its oil production to four million barrels by 2010, taking advantage of the vast oil resources in the Niger Delta, estimated at 30 billion barrels. — With Pia Lee-Brago