Latest ONI World Wide Threat to Shipping (to 22 Feb 2006)

For the latest ONI World Wide Threat to Shipping, o here and click on the date. Highlights:

1. Ro Ro ship underway reported being followed 18 Feb, Somalia.
2. Chemical tanker surrounded by speedboats, 18 Feb, Gulf of
Aden.
3. Container ship surrounded by speedboats, 18 Feb, Gulf of
Aden.
4. Container ship (LICORNE) reported being followed, 20 Feb,
Somalia.

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1. NIGERIA: An offshore barge was boarded and hostages
taken 18 Feb in a predawn raid along the Escravos coast. Militants
in speedboats stormed the barge and abducted nine people. Militants
also blew up two nearby oil and gas pipelines, and set fire to a
tanker loading platform. Eight hostages were working as
contractors for Houston based Willbros Group Inc., which was
subcontracted by Shell. Willbros has confirmed that three
Americans, two Egyptians, two Thais and one Filipino were taken
hostage. Additionally, one British national working as a security
export for a private firm under contract with Willbros was also
taken hostage. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger
Delta (MEND) reported that the attacks were a response to military
air raids in the delta state that took place earlier this week and
indicated another wave of violence “on a grander scale” will
follow. Shell was warned not to repair the offshore loading
platform, threatening a more brutal attack (LM).