Seven Sailors Of ExxonMobil Ship Kidnapped By Pirates In Equatorial Guinea - Ministry

Pirates attacked an ExxonMobil vessel in the territorial waters of Equatorial Guinea and kidnapped seven crew members, the Equatoguinean government said in a press release on Friday, citing a communique by the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd November, 2019) Pirates attacked an ExxonMobil vessel in the territorial waters of Equatorial Guinea and kidnapped seven crew members, the Equatoguinean government said in a press release on Friday, citing a communique by the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons.

"The pirate attack took place in the early hours of 20th November while the vessel in question was leaving the Zafiro field in Equatoguinean waters, bound for Luba, where it was attacked by pirates 12 nautical miles into its route," Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima said in the communique, as quoted by the government.

According to the communique, the vessel was leased by US oil giant ExxonMobil from Swire, a contractor conglomerate. The vessel reportedly had 15 crew members coming from South Africa, the Philippines, Serbia and Cameroon.

Seven have been kidnapped, while the remaining eight managed to hide. They were found onboard later by the Equatoguinean navy officers who were sent to check on Warden after the attack.

The ministry said more information would be shared once available.