The Times: The week that was: The world: Troubled waters: “Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil company, was forced to shut some flow stations and unrest helped to drive world oil prices above $50 (£27) a barrel. (ShellNews.net)

October 02, 2004

The Nigerian Government sent troops to Port Harcourt and other parts of the oil-rich Niger Delta after an armed rebel group threatened to attack multinational oil companies and foreign workers. Shell, the Anglo-Dutch oil company, was forced to shut some flow stations and unrest helped to drive world oil prices above $50 (£27) a barrel. The Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force said that it was fighting for the ethnic Ijaw people because they had laid claim to Nigeria’s oil wealth.