What if a Faulty Valve Wasn’t the Cause
From Information Dissemination
Chris Rawley, ContributorWhile all eyes are focused on the oil pouring into the Gulf of Mexico, across the Atlantic, potentially more devastating spills threaten the Nigerian Delta. The MEND has resumed attacks on oil companies and is wreaking its own brand of ecological and economic warfare against the Nigerian government and the world’s energy supplies. MEND’s guerilla tactics against oil production include a combination of piracy and kidnapping on deepwater rigs, sabotage against coastal pipelines, and direct attacks on facilities. In 2009, 51 oil workers from Shell were kidnapped for ransom, an increase from 11 in 2008.
As can be expected in modern globalized insurgencies, additional groups with diverse motives and tactics have entered the fray against oil production in Nigeria. In the future one might expect the MEND to import additional tactics from other movements, including waterborne IEDs. And by the way, the US imports more oil from Nigeria than Saudi Arabia.
If tasked, would the US Navy be prepared to deal with this sort of problem? Are current force structure, training, and TTPs ready for a maritime-focused insurgency?
Great question, but one that can easily be expanded to include domestic maritime attacks. Although a full blown maritime-focused insurgency within the US isn’t likely, attacks specifically targeting the oil industry by international and domestic terrorist organizations and lone wolves are a possibility. Now that the consequences of an oil rig failure are known to the masses, the offshore and coastal oil industry within US jurisdiction should receive some serious attention to ensure security measures are up to par and capable response forces are available and ready to mitigate any threat. The potential for a successful terrorist attack on this infrastructure to affect the economy and the environment of not only the immediate area, but an entire coastline, warrants serious and immediate attention.
Filed Under: News
