It is early morning, just after the 7pm-to-6am curfew is lifted, and convoys of minibuses led and tailed by armed escorts speed oil industry workers to their offices, refineries and workshops. The threat of kidnap is everywhere. Oil pipelines and facilities are regularly attacked. For employees of Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron and a host of other companies, there is no such thing as a normal day at the office.

Welcome to Nigeria, the world's eighth largest crude exporter - but where concerns about the worsening security situation have contributed to the recent surge in oil prices.

Last week, the wife of an executive at oil services company Lonestar was reportedly kidnapped. ... Read full article