05/09/2000 14:50 - (SA) Unrest cuts oil production

Lagos - The Nigerian subsidiary of French oil group TotalFina Elf cut production by 25 000 barrels per day (bpd) following community protests, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The shut-in on Monday amounts to around one fifth of Elf Nigeria's 124 000 bpd production total in the African country, spokesperson Emmanuel Chiejina said by telephone from Port Harcourt.

Youths from the Akabuka settlement in the Ogoni area of southern Nigeria's River State on Monday overran 10 oil wells and pumping stations and the shut-in was made as a precautionary measure, Chiejina said.

The company was meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the youths to discuss their grievances, he said.

"These things happen regularly and we are hopeful it will be resolved speedily," he said.

No reason was given immediately for the youth's actions.

Elf is one of six major oil companies operating in Nigeria, which produces some 2.03 million bpd of crude oil for export.

Despite being the source of most of the country's oil wealth, the delta region is under-developed and most of its people remain poor leading to regular unrest. - Sapa-AFP

http://news.24.com/News24/Africa/Northern_Africa/0,1113,2-11-38_907080,00.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 05, 2000