US oil giant Chevron-Texaco has shut down one of its operations in southwestern Nigeria following a fresh protest by activists demanding jobs, social facilities and money, the company said this evening.
A spokesman said talks were underway with around 50 members of the Ilaje community who had descended on the company's Ewan oilfield on Wednesday and barricaded its offices.
Last month, women from the Ugborodo community in nearby Delta State seized Chevron's massive Escravos oil terminal for 11 days, halting exports of more than 400,000 barrels of oil a day valued at millions of dollars.
A week later, Ijaw women from the Gbaramatu community occupied four Chevron flow stations in the western Niger Delta near Warri, cutting off 100,000 barrels per day.
Both protests ended after Chevron Nigeria agreed to increase recruitment from local communities and build new schools, clinics and utilities.
Last week, soldiers and police were called in to disperse around 1,000 women from Ekpan, near Warri, who besieged the oil firm's administrative office in the city.
AFP