NIGERIA: AMCIT TIDEWATER CAPTAIN RELEASED

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000227 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W STATE FOR INR/AA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2018 TAGS: ASEC CASC EPET KDEM NI PGOV PREL SUBJECT: NIGERIA: AMCIT TIDEWATER CAPTAIN RELEASED REF: ABUJA 1184 Classified By: Acting Consul General Helen C Hudson for Reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Amcit Captain Jackie Stone, kidnapped from a Tidewater boat under contract to Chevron June 19, was released unharmed and returned to the United States June 20. The kidnapping occurred 27 nautical miles off the Bayelsa/Delta coast as armed men returned from a 3:00 am attack on Shell's Bonga Floating Production and Storage Facility (FPSO). While the attack on the Bonga facility was probably a calculated move against Shell, the Tidewater kidnapping was likely a target of opportunity. End Summary. Tidewater Hostage Released -------------- ¶2. (C) Reg McNee, Senior Vice President of Tidewater Marine confirmed the release of Amcit Jackie Stone, Captain of the U.S. flag vessel Solar Tide 2 in the evening of June 19. No ransom was paid for his release, according to a Chevron contact. McNee reported Stone had been taken to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, after his release, first to the State Security Service (SSS) Yenagoa office at 7:30 pm for a debriefing, then to the Bayelsa State government house where he met with Governor Silva of Bayelsa State and spent the night. (Note: Ambassador spoke with Bayelsa Governor Silva as part of the Mission's overall efforts with GON officials and security elements, who said he had not met with the hostage victim. End note.) Legatt and Regional Security Officer (RSO) Lagos met with Stone at the airport for a debrief. Bonga Fears for Crew, Shuts Down Production -------------- ¶3. (C) Ann Pickard, Regional Executive Vice President of Shell, told PolEcon Chief that around 3:00 am June 19, three boats attacked the Bonga Floating Production and Storage Facility (FPSO),located 60 nautical miles off the Bayelsa and Delta State coasts. Each boat held approximately ten armed men. Pickard stated that Bonga locked down and shut in production at the facility, which has a nameplate capacity of 200,000 barrels per day. The three boats left the facility and headed back to shore, where Pickard said they attacked another company's boat, taking an American hostage. (Comment: Given the nature of the attack on the Bonga facility, it was probably a calculated move against Shell. The Tidewater vessel was likely just a target of opportunity. End Comment.) ¶4. (C) A Shell contact reported June 20 that the Bonga facility is essentially undamaged, but the militants seized a small utility boat used for work around the facility. Shell's headquarters in the Netherlands has decided to shut in production at Bonga pending a review of the facility's security posture. No date has been given for bringing Bonga back on-stream. Lourdes Tide Hostages Released; No Amcits Involved -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) McNee reported June 20 that seven of nine hostages from Tidewater's Lourdes Tide hijacking incident May 13 were released June 19. Two hostages, the ship's Portuguese captain and Ukrainian first engineer, are still being held. McNee told RSO Lagos he believes the hostage takers see no real value in keeping Nigerian hostages, as they drain resources and have little ransom value. The hostages were taken from a Tidewater ship under contract to Chevron while carrying supplies from Onne Port on the Bonny River south of Port Harcourt to Escravos, in Delta State. The local Tidewater managing director has asked the Mission to weigh in with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan's office on getting the vessel released. Jonathan is nominally in the GON responsible for Niger Delta issues. LAGOS 00000227 002 OF 002 This cable has been cleared by Embassy Abuja. HUDSON