THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Gunmen Raid Shell Oil Platform In Nigeria, Seize Foreign Workers: Posted 13  Jan 2006

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Unidentified gunmen stormed an offshore oil platform run by Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria and kidnapped four foreign oil workers, a company official said Thursday.

Gunmen in three boats seized the four oil workers from a support vessel attached to the oil platform on Wednesday afternoon, Shell spokesman Andy Corrigan said by telephone from London.

Mr. Corrigan said it was unclear whether the hostages were working for Shell or one of its contractors. He declined giving further details, including the nationalities of those abducted, "for safety and security reasons."

The British embassy in Nigeria said it believed one of its nationals was among the hostages. "We believe the four individuals include a British national," spokesman Graeme Bannatyne said.

Shell officials in Nigeria said the workers were kidnapped from an anchored supply vessel at Shell's EA oil platform in shallow waters off the southern oil-rich Niger Delta and taken to an unknown location.

Local communities in Nigeria have been demanding a greater share of revenues from the oil flowing from their land for years. Hostage takings are common, and kidnapped workers are usually released unharmed.

Shell workers running the EA platform have been taken hostage twice in the past year over a dispute with neighboring communities, who accuse the company of reneging on a promise to undertake development projects for their impoverished region.

A Croatian was seized in December 2004 and freed days later. Two Germans and four Nigerian oil workers were similarly taken hostage in June and later freed.

Nigeria produces about 2.5 million barrels of oil a day.

Copyright (c) 2006 The Associated Press