Protesters seize Shell flow station in Nigeria

LAGOS, Aug 5 (AFP) - Protesters have seized an oil flow station belonging to the Anglo-Dutch oil group Shell in Nigeria's troubled western Niger Delta, the company said Tuesday.

The Kokori flow station, with a production capacity of 90,000 barrels of crude per day, was shut down Friday by militant youths from the area.

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The protesters were accusing Shell of neglect and environmental degradation, a Shell spokesman told AFP.

The company is the biggest operating in Nigeria, accounting for almost a third of the country's daily output of some two million barrels.

The Shell spokesman said preliminary talks to end the deadlock broke down at the weekend, but the company would not relent. "We are trying our best to resolve the issue so that production can resume at the facility," he said.

He said more than 1,000 protesters carrying placards denouncing Shell were occupying the Kokori oil pumping station, which was recently upgraded to produce 90,000 barrels per day from 60,000.

The seizure is only the latest crisis to hit the Nigerian oil industry, Africa's biggest, which has been plagued in recent months by fatal accidents, unrest, crime and labour disputes.

In June, Nigerian kidnappers seized three oil workers -- two Filipinos and a German -- working for a Shell sub-contractor.

The kidnappers demanded 25 million naira (197,000 dollars/168,000 euros) in ransom and 400,000 naira to cover the cost of their food during the hostage-taking.

It took the intervention of Delta State Governor James Ibori before the oil workers were released.

In March, Nigeria lost over one-third of its daily output during an ethnic rebellion by Ijaw militants protesting perceived political marginalisation.

And in April some 100 expatriate and almost 200 Nigerian workers were trapped for almost two weeks on four offshore platforms blockaded by striking Nigerian staff.

Production has yet to return to full capacity.

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