SITREP 6: AMCIT REMAINS HOSTAGE; 3 PIPELINES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000321 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W, INR/AA, DS/IP/AF, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/OSAC, CA/OCS/ACS/AF FOR MESARITI ZAGREB FOR AMBASSADOR BRADTKE WARSAW FOR LISA PIASCIK CIUDAD JUAREZ FOR DONNA BLAIR ISTANBUL FOR TASHAWNA SMITH SAO PAULO FOR ANDREW WITHERSPOON DOE FOR GPERSON, CAROLYN GAY TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS, SRENENDER, DFIELDS COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE PASS USTR FOR ASST USTR FLISER STATE PASS TRANSPORTATION FOR MARAD STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN AND MSTUCKART STATE PASS TDA FOR NCABOT STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER STATE PASS USAID FOR GWEYNAND AND SLAWAETZ E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2017 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: SITREP 6: AMCIT REMAINS HOSTAGE; 3 PIPELINES ATTACKED REF: LAGOS 318 LAGOS 00000321 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( D) ¶1. (C) Summary: After being abducted May 1, six expatriates, including American citizen John Stapleton, four Italians and one Croatian remain in captivity. Chevron has not received proof of life for any of the hostages. Chevron planned to pass a third care package containing food, water, clothes and antimalarial prophylaxes to the Bayelsa State Government for the hostages, although the company has received no confirmation the previous two packages were given to the hostages. Three pipelines in Bayelsa were purportedly attacked by militants on May 8; since May 1, Chevron has reduced production by 57,000 barrels per day. End Summary. -------------- -------------- No Package Delivery or POL; Chevron Meets Obasanjo -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) American citizen John Stapleton, four Italian nationals and one Croatian begin their eighth day in captivity; little has changed. Chevron was preparing to give the Bayelsa State Government a third welfare package containing food, water, clothes, toiletries, a camera, antimalarial prophylaxes and medication, despite no proof the two previous packages were delivered. Chevron chose not to include cell phones in the care packages because there is reportedly no cell phone coverage at the camp. The framework for release plan has been drafted but not yet finalized. ¶3. (C) Fred Nelson, Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited, met President Obasanjo in Abuja on May 7. Obasanjo told Nelson there would not be a military action against the militants and no ransom demands would be paid by the government. Obasanjo recommended Chevron not pay ransom and continue to try to resolve the crisis through the Bayelsa State government. -------------- Militants Attack 3 Pipelines -------------- ¶4. (U) "Jomo Gbomo" of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) purportedly emailed media sources on May 8 and claimed responsibility for three attacks on pipelines in Bayelsa. Media sources report Agip's Brass terminal was attacked as were two terminals in Akasa. ¶5. (C) According to Managing Director of Agip, Akin Aruwajoye, two of Agip's pipelines were attacked on May 8, decreasing production by 150,000 to 200,000 barrels per day (bpd). ¶6. (C) Initial unconfirmed reports state that on May 2 Chevron took 15,000 bpd offline after the six expatriates LAGOS 00000321 002.2 OF 002 were taken hostage from the floating storage vessel "Oloibiri" 25 miles off the shore of Bayelsa State. Media reports Chevron further cut production another 42,000 bpd on May 7 at the Abiteye flow station, due to disruptive activity there (no hostages were taken in this incident). BROWNE