The aim of the Niger Delta militants is to cripple Nigeria’s oil export. Has this been realized?

A national newspaper reported last week Nigeria has about two week supply of crude oil for the refineries to use after which all local production will cease.

According to the report published in the Guardian newspaper, “the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries have been shut”, while the the Kaduna Refinery is also idle since it gets its supply from the Warri plant. According to the report, “the only stock, which was reserved, will be exhausted in the next 15 days”.

To complicate an already dire situation, an announcement released today by Shell Petroleum, and published by the ThisDay newspaper, indicates the company has suspended its entire operations in the Western Niger Delta, covering Delta State and parts of Bayelsa States. These regions constitute almost two thirds of the oil producing areas. The paper writes, “with this development, only the company’s activities in the Eastern Niger Delta are sustaining its field operations in the country.”

This attack is the second after Nigerian President Umura Yar’Adua Thursday presented details of a 60-day amnesty offer to the militants.