Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 -- Armed gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped two expatriate oil workers during a raid on an oil services ship operated by Norway-based Petroleum Geo-services (PGS) in the Niger Delta.
An industry source in Nigeria said the gunmen had sped away in boats with the two hostages, and that PGS was undertaking surveys of potential oil fields at the time.
In a statement, PGS said the two workers—an American and a Briton—were seized before dawn on Nov. 2 from the ship, the HD Commander, while it was at anchor near the Funiwa Platform off the coast of Bayelsa State.
PGS reported no demands from the kidnappers, and expressed the hope that contact can soon be established with the hostage-takers. PGS said it was coordinating efforts "to bring this situation to a quick and successful conclusion."
The attack coincides with the most recent report of the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which notes that Nigeria remains a hotspot for piracy attacks.
In late October, the IMB pointedly said, "These attacks are symptomatic of a rise in the number of incidents against foreign oil workers in Nigeria."
Emphasizing that Nigerian waters remain extremely dangerous, the IMB noted that Nigerian attacks had great potential for violence, with pirates recorded as carrying guns, knives, or both in most instances.
It also observed that a growing trend in Nigeria is the large number of pirates involved in attacks. In one instance, 40 people attacked a vessel from three canoes and kidnapped four crewmembers.
In another, a ship was attacked by 23 pirates armed with knives.
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].
