41.   The hangings galvanized international opposition to Abacha, prompting the Commonwealth to suspend the country and leading Mandela to call for international sanctions on Nigerian oil.

42.   The United States is the biggest buyer of Nigerian oil.

43.   There have been several similar incidents in the past year involving Nigerian oil workers seizing foreign colleagues to demand better pay and working conditions.

44.   The United States imports Nigerian oil, and U.S. oil companies operate there.

45.   This was a reference to South Africa, where President Nelson Mandela has urged international sanctions against Nigerian oil.

46.   If market analysts perceive an impact by the strike on Nigerian oil exports, the world price of oil could move.

47.   International action has however stopped short of an embargo on Nigerian oil sales, which many observers see as the only really effective weapon.

48.   A major Canadian oil company says it will obey any government-ordered embargo of Nigerian oil, but would not take the initiative by itself.

49.   A strike by Nigerian oil workers had negligible effect on prices.

50.   A striking Nigerian oil workers union threatened violence Monday against foreign petroleum companies it accused of trying to sabotage the industrial action.