ABUJA, Nigeria, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Nigeria moved more than 100,000 barrels of oil and gas liquids from Shell operations damaged by militant activity in the Niger Delta, authorities said.
Levi Ajuonuma, a spokesman for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., said last week that evacuation of oil and gas liquids, or condensate, was "intractable" because of "incessant" militant attacks on infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
Nigerian oil executives announced that Shell moved 140,000 barrels of condensate from the region through an alternative artery, Nigeria's Next newspaper reports Tuesday.
Shell could use the alternative route to buy time to improve its situation in the militant region, officials said.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the main militant group in the region, ended a cease-fire earlier this year.
Militant activity and political turmoil in Abuja costs Nigeria much-needed revenue from oil production. Government officials said they were losing around $1 billion per month because of a steady decline in production levels.
NNPC officials meet with their Shell counterparts Wednesday to discuss improving transit options. Developing ways to protect vulnerable infrastructure is included on the agenda.
