, ▁G ok ana , ▁Tai ▁and ▁Ele me ) ▁and ▁the ▁Et che , ▁Og ba , ▁I k wer re , ▁N d oni , ▁Ek pe ye ▁and ▁N d oki ▁in ▁R ivers ▁State . ▁n iger ia ▁ ▁Eastern ▁Niger ▁D elta ▁Eastern ▁Niger ▁D elta ▁consists ▁of ▁Cross ▁River ▁State ▁and ▁Ak wa ▁Ib om ▁State . ▁ ▁Niger ian ▁oil ▁ ▁Niger ia ▁has ▁become ▁West ▁Africa ' s ▁biggest ▁producer ▁of ▁pet role um . ▁Some ▁ ▁a ▁day ▁are ▁extracted ▁in ▁the ▁Niger ▁D elta . ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁ 3 8 ▁billion ▁bar rel s ▁of ▁cru de ▁oil ▁still ▁res ide ▁under ▁the ▁delta ▁as ▁of ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 2 . ▁The ▁first ▁oil ▁operations ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁were ▁undert aken ▁by ▁mult in ational ▁corpor ations , ▁which ▁provided ▁Niger ia ▁with ▁necessary ▁techn ological ▁and ▁financial ▁resources ▁to ▁extract ▁oil . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁the ▁region ▁has ▁account ed ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 5 % ▁of ▁Niger ia ' s ▁export ▁ear nings . ▁T ogether ▁oil ▁and ▁natural ▁gas ▁extra ction ▁compr ise ▁" 9 7 ▁per ▁cent ▁of ▁Niger ia ' s ▁foreign ▁exchange ▁reven ues ". ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁gas ▁extracted ▁in ▁oil ▁well s ▁in ▁the ▁D elta ▁is ▁immediately ▁burn ed , ▁or ▁fla red , ▁into ▁the ▁air ▁at ▁a ▁rate ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 7