NIGERIA: AMCIT ABDUCTED FROM TIDEWATER SHIP, BONGA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 001184

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OPERATIONS CENTER, CA/OCS, AF/W, INR/AA
DOE FOR GEORGE PERSON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2018
TAGS: CASC EPET ASEC PREL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AMCIT ABDUCTED FROM TIDEWATER SHIP, BONGA
PLATFORM ATTACKED

Classified By: Ambassador Robin Sanders for reasons 1.4. (b & d).


1. (C) Summary: Over night June 18 ) June 19, two attacks
happened in the southern area of Nigeria, at the Bonga Oil
platform off the shore of Lagos and in the Niger Delta area
near Escravos, where one Amcit is confirmed to have been
taken hostage. Both Embassy Abuja and Consulate Lagos are
engaged with all contacts in security and in government on
the status and welfare of the abducted American citizen. We
have heard unconfirmed reports during the afternoon of June
19 that the Amcit hostage may be released soon. We will
continue to follow up and report any new developments. End
Summary.

Bonga oil platform attack
--------------

2. (C) The regional Executive Vice President of Shell, Ann
Pickard, told acting Consul General Hudson that around 3:00
am on June 19 three boats attacked their Bonga offshore
facility. Each boat reportedly had approximately ten armed
men. Pickard stated that the Bonga facility locked down and
shut in production. The oil nameplate capacity of the rig is
more than 200,000 barrels per day. The three boats left the
facility and headed back to shore, where Pickard understands
they attacked another company,s boat and took a hostage.
(Note: We do not yet know the nationality of this hostage,
but we have been told he is not/not an Amcit.)

Tidewater Vessel: Amcit Kidnapped
--------------

3. (C) In a second incident, a U.S. flagged, U.S. operated
vessel owned by U.S. company Tidewater was also attacked and
one Amcit is confirmed to have been taken hostage in the
incident. Tidewater's Senior Vice President Reg McNee called
RSO Lagos June 19 to report that an American was kidnapped 27
miles offshore at approximately 5:45 am. A Tidewater vessel
was heading toward Onne Port carrying, among others, two
expatriates, one American and one Bangladeshi. Twenty-seven
nautical miles offshore, they were intercepted by three
speedboats carrying approximately fifteen armed individuals,
who kidnapped the American employee. The vessel was under a
U.S. flag and contracted to Chevron at the time. Chevron has
begun negotiations through intermediaries with the alleged
kidnappers. Tidewater is a U.S. oil services company.


4. (C) At mid-afternoon June 19, post received information
through our Regional Affairs Office (RAO) contacts with the
Nigeria's State Security Services (SSS) that the "militant"
group that captured the Tidewater vessel and kidnapped the
American citizen is known to the SSS and that the GON and
other entities are in contact with the abductors. RAO is
being told that the Amcit hostage should be released
"sometime soon." RSO sources also reported mid-afternoon
June 19 that the kidnapped American may have already been
released, but this information has not yet been confirmed.


5. (C) Though the Associated Press has reported on the Bonga
attack and the kidnapping, both Tidewater and Chevron are
keeping the kidnapping of the Amcit confidential for the time
being. We are engaging our contacts at all levels. We will
continue to closely follow this incident and report any new
developments.
SANDERS