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10 September, 2005
Both in Ecuador and Nigeria, oil exports have been hampered by popular demonstrations. In Ecuador, following days of protests in two Amazon provinces over foreign companies and their levels of investment, the export of over 100,000 barrels a day had been brought to a standstill last week. Protesters want more of the country’s oil money to be spent on new jobs and infrastructure. Oil revenues account for 25% of Ecuador’s GDP. The state-owned company Petroecuador said over the weekend that production has been restarted “with the help of the army”. In Nigeria, Shell had to shut down the Agbada 1 flow station in Rivers State in the oil-rich Niger delta in southern Nigeria, following action by angry local protesters from the Ogoni community. Protests there were mainly over compensation for a 2003 spill which protesters say impacted over 500HA.