Lagos (Platts)--1Aug2007

Nigeria's oil-producing Ondo state Wednesday directed four oil companies
including Shell and Chevron, to urgently clean up crude spillage in the
coastal area of the state.

     Indigenous operators Integrated Oil and Conoil Producing Ltd., were also
named in the case, a statement from the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and
Environment of the southwest state, Ayo Ifayefunmi, said.

     "The government has informed the relevant federal agencies about the oil
spillage," Ifayefunmi said, adding that the oil spills were traced to damaged
pipelines and arson attacks on the pipelines to steal crude.

     Nigeria's oil producing communities started targeting oil companies for
attacks and took oil workers hostage to protest pollution. The firms, however,
insist that most of the spillages were caused by arson attacks on the oil
pipelines by militants and criminals attempting to steal crude.