Chevron Reports Attack

Chevron Corp. (CVX) Sunday said it has received reports of shooting near its Nigerian facilities, adding two contractors might have died but that it was unclear if the company was the target of the attack.

In an e-mail to Dow Jones Newswires, a Chevron spokesman said that, at about 0200 AM Sunday, it "received reports of shooting in the area of its Robertkiri facilities, Rivers State." "The attack has been reported to the appropriate government authorities and investigation is ongoing," the spokesman added. Chevron didn't specify where the reports emanated from. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the region's largest militant group, said earlier Sunday it had attacked a Chevron oil facility. Agence France Presse quoted a Nigerian army spokesman as saying its men had repelled the attack.

In a subsequent e-mail, the Chevron spokesman said: "We don't have information to suggest that the attack was directed specifically at Chevron." He added no Chevron Nigeria "employee was hurt as a result of this incident, but initial reports suggest that 2 employees of a local marine vessel supply company, Dahnariq Nigeria Ltd - which supplies small vessels to (Chevron Nigeria) operations, might have died.

Attacks on the oil industry by Nigerian militants seeking a better distribution of oil revenue have taken place for years. But MEND Saturday called for an escalation of its operations, claiming the Nigerian army had started a wide-scale offensive against the group.

(Dow Jones)