SEPTEMBER 23 DELTA UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001477 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W STATE FOR INR/AA DEPT DS/IP/AF E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CASC NI SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 23 DELTA UPDATE Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for Reason 1.4 (D) SECURITY UPDATE -------------- ¶1. (C) Port Harcourt remains calm but nervously so. An Amcit missionary and oil company contacts reported the city and most surrounding areas as being quiet. Some contacts said many local citizens remained home and many businesses were closed throughout the day. The police and military presence in the city has been enhanced. Contacts in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State report calm there also. ¶3. (C) Willbros, an oil service company, reported that armed youths robbed their Choba facility 15 miles outside of Port Harcourt, making off with Naira 35 million (about 269 thousand dollars). There have been no reports of injuries of the 90-100 expatriates (some American) on the compound, although reportedly one police officer may have been killed and a Nigerian security guard wounded in the melee. There are over 200 Nigerian employees on the compound as well. Governor Odili of Rivers State stated to the Consul General that he has deployed about 50 Mopol to the Willbros facility. ¶4. (C) Willbros plans to evacuate the vast majority of the employees tonight and Saturday, with any remaining staff to evacuate on Sunday. ¶5. (SBU) Chevron has reportedly shutdown 3 out of their 4 facilities in Rivers State, possibly reducing output by 35 - 40 thousand barrels per day. The shutdowns were precautionary, and there has been no report of additional armed takeovers. ¶6. (C) A Chevron official reported that all of the expatriate employees except for one Amcit have been evacuated from Port Harcourt. Shell reports normal operations in Port Harcourt, and field operations continuing with caution. Armed escorts are mandatory for all field travel. ExxonMobil has evacuated 35-40 staff from Port Harcourt, including 12 Amcits. The security company Armourgroup also reported calm but is using this period to move non-essential personnel out of Port Harcourt. Seacor stated that it has positioned a vessel off the coast of Rivers State, in case an evacuation is required. ACS REPORT -------------- ¶7. (C) There are no reports of Amcits being hurt or missing. There have been no requests for assistance. BROWNE