Royal Dutch Shell Plc says it has lifted a two-week export block after stabilizing production in Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta.
Shell spokesman Precious Okolobo said Wednesday that Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary lifted a “force majeure” on its Bonny Light crude shipment on July 1. The term is used when an oil company cannot cover the promised supply from the field.
The oil giant declared force majeure on June 13 when the Trans-Niger pipeline was damaged by hacksaw cuts, suggesting black-market thieves tapped into the lines. The pipeline is a major conduit through Nigeria’s oil-rich region of swamps, mangroves and creeks almost the size of South Carolina. Nigeria is a top supplier of crude to the U.S.
