News

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) can now confirm a total of seven fatalities from last Friday's (April 23) attack on the Benin River. This follows the recovery of the body of the remaining missing person. Two of the dead are United States citizens, working for International Business Systems, Inc., a contractor company to CNL. Both the American Embassy and the families of the deceased have been notified. The others are Nigerians, including the boat captain and a crew member, both employees of Willbros Nigeria Limited, and three Naval security personnel.

An injured CNL employee and a wounded Naval security personnel are the only survivors of the unprovoked attack. Both of them were evacuated to the Company's medical facility in Warri where they received treatment. They remain in stable condition.

Preliminary information indicates that the attack was carried out by heavily armed militants, who had attempted to dispossess the Naval Security personnel of their weapons. The occupants of the work boat were then attacked with heavy gun fire, injuring some and killing others.

The CNL work crew had been assessing oil and gas facilities in Dibi and Olero Creek fields as part of preparations to return to these swamp locations that were vacated in March 2003, at the height of inter-ethnic violence in the Niger Delta.

CNL remains in contact with the Delta State Governor and Federal Security agencies. The Company is also in regular communication with its joint venture partner, NNPC, and the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

Additional security measures have been put in place to mitigate risks to personnel in the area.

CNL Chairman and Managing Director Jay Pryor has expressed deep grief at the loss of life arising from this incident, saying "my heart goes out to the families of the victims of this tragic event. Continuing, Pryor said, "the investigation by government needs to be thorough and diligent and must lead to the identification and prosecution of the culprits." He also assured that "the safety and security of all employees will continue to be our top priority."

Source: ChevronTexaco

Oceaneering International reports that Oceaneering Multiflex has been awarded a contract with a value of approximately million by Mariner Energy to provide umbilicals for the Swordfish field. The order is for two lengths of high- pressure, steel tube umbilical totaling 14.5 miles to be delivered for installation during the fourth quarter 2004.

The Swordfish development, located in the Gulf of Mexico in approximately 5,000 feet of water, is a multi-well tie back to a floating production spar.

Oceaneering is in negotiations with Mariner for additional subsea hardware and installation services. The umbilical contract, plus any additional subsea specialty hardware, if awarded, will be included in Oceaneering's Subsea Product backlog as of June 30, 2004.

Philip Gardner, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, stated, "We are very pleased to have been awarded this contract, which will be the first major umbilical to be manufactured in our new Panama City, FL facility. This plant is being outfitted with million of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, including the most technologically advanced steel tube-cabling machine in the world."

Source: Oceaneering

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