Nigeria militants say every oil producer at risk

ABUJA - Militants behind a string of attacks aimed at disrupting Nigeria's oil industry said they intended to target all producers in the country, in a message that singled out US-based Chevron.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, which has caused major disruption at Royal Dutch Shell and kidnapped four foreign oil workers, said it has also attacked installations run by France's Total and Italy's Agip, a unit of ENI.

"We have decided not to limit our attacks to Shell oil as our ultimate aim is to prevent Nigeria from exporting oil," the militant group said in an email statement.

So far, Shell is the only major operator to have said it suffered at the hands of the ethnic Ijaw militants, who are demanding greater control for the impoverished local people over the delta's enormous oil wealth.

"The reports of attacks on Agip and Total flow stations are correct," the group said. "We will attack all oil companies including Chevron facilities."

Chevron spokesman Don Campbell said: "We're monitoring the situation. We have made no plans to shut down production."

Spokesmen for the French and Italian companies in Nigeria dismissed the statement. Oil industry executives met urgently with government officials yesterday in Abuja to discuss security in the delta's mangrove swamps and tidal creeks.

The month-long campaign of violence against oil pipelines and platforms in the delta has hit 221,000 barrels a day of Shell's production - roughly a tenth of the output from the world's eighth largest exporter.

Analysts say the violence is part of growing political rivalry between the regions in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, ahead of 2007 presidential elections. An Ijaw uprising before 2003 elections hit 40 per cent of Nigeria's production.

Oil prices climbed to their highest level in almost four months on Wednesday as the group's threats exacerbated the markets' concerns about the Opec cartel's capacity to meet demand. Nigeria is a leading Opec member.

US crude oil climbed as far as US$66.91 a barrel, the highest since September 30. It was up 19 cents at US$66.50 at 0337 NZT. London Brent crude was up five cents at US$64.95.

Shell, the largest producer of oil in Nigeria's delta, said in a statement it was reviewing its staff deployment, after the militants repeated threats to target oil employees.

The company evacuated 330 workers from four oil platforms after a militant attack on Sunday which killed four soldiers.

"Pipelines, loading points, export tankers, tank farms, refined petroleum depots, landing strips and residences of employees of these companies can expect to be attacked," the militant group said. "We know where they live, shop and where the children go to school." Yesterday the expiry of a 48-hour deadline set by the hostage-takers for their demands to be met. The four hostages are an American, a Briton, a Bulgarian and a Honduran. There was no word on the fate of the hostages.

Witnesses to attacks last week describe military-style operations involving around 40 trained militants, intelligence officials said. The group used a 12.7 mm heavy sub-machine gun mounted on a motor launch to attack one platform, they said.

The militants demand local control of the Niger Delta's oil wealth, payment of US$1.5 billion by Shell to the Bayelsa state government to compensate for pollution, and the release of three men including two ethnic Ijaw leaders.

Meanwhile, shipping sources said loading was due to begin shortly at two major Nigerian oil terminals operated by ExxonMobil, after industry talk the loading might be suspended because of fears of an attack.

"The two Exxon terminals are going to start loading this afternoon under heavy military guard," a shipping agent said.

- REUTERS