Two workers killed at Chevron plant in Nigeria

According to the Associated Press, Nigerian soldiers shot and killed two workers at a Chevron Corp. plant that was under construction. The incident also sparked a riot that left several buildings destroyed and halted operations, a government official said. The incident occurred at the Escravos gas-to-liquid plant in southern Nigeria, while a convoy of buses traveled around the plant. One of the buses failed to stop at a security checkpoint and the driver got into an argument with security guards at the plant''s main gate. A Delta State government spokesman, Linus Chima, said a group of Nigerian soldiers detailed to guard the plant arrived at the same time and fired shots at the crowd to try to get them to disperse, killing two Nigerian workers. Workers responded by burning buildings and fighting with soldiers until being brought under control by local officials. Chima said the fighting was not related to the activities of a militant group that operates in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Officials with Chevron, based in San Ramon, Calif., did not respond to calls seeking comment. The Escravos plant is a joint venture between Chevron and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.