TheCable

ExxonMobil, one of the international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta, says it only had an obstruction in its activities, not a total shut down.

It was reported on Thursday that the oil company shut down its production, following threats from oil vandals in the Niger Delta, but the company says it was only a temporary obstruction.

In a statement released late on Thursday, Oge Udeagha, ExxonMobil spokesperson, confirmed obstructions along the bridge to its Qua Iboe terminal, but not threats from oil vandals in the region.

“Mobil Producing Nigeria, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation NNPC/MPN joint venture, confirms that in the early hours of Thursday May 19, 2016, some unknown persons obstructed access to the bridge leading to our Qua Iboe terminal complex in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom state, thereby preventing our personnel and the public from conducting their legitimate businesses,” Udeagha said.

The company spokesperson went on to say it was working on removing the obstructions, while production activities remain on-going.

“We can also confirm that a peaceful removal of the obstructions is on-going, following the intervention of the officials of the state government, security agencies and community leaders.  Production activities are ongoing.”

Like Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco), ExxonMobil had earlier invoked force-majeure, a legal clause that allows it to stop shipments without breaching contracts.

Acts of vandalism in the Niger Delta has led a number of oil companies to declare force majeure, and halt production at one point or the other in 2016.