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| Nigeria oil cut by rebel attack | Nigeria oil cut by rebel attack |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| An attack on two oil pipelines in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region has cut production and raised the price of oil. | An attack on two oil pipelines in Nigeria's oil-rich Delta region has cut production and raised the price of oil. |
| Oil giant Shell confirmed it had stopped pumping crude oil through a major pipeline but did not say how much was being held back. | Oil giant Shell confirmed it had stopped pumping crude oil through a major pipeline but did not say how much was being held back. |
| The pipeline attacked by militants carries 130,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters news agency. | The pipeline attacked by militants carries 130,000 barrels per day, according to Reuters news agency. |
| Nigeria's oil production had been creeping back up to its Opec quota of 2.1m barrels a day. | Nigeria's oil production had been creeping back up to its Opec quota of 2.1m barrels a day. |
| A series of violent attacks in recent years had led to a 20% cut in Nigeria's output. | A series of violent attacks in recent years had led to a 20% cut in Nigeria's output. |
| Production, which dropped early this year to 1.7m barrels, rose above 1.9m last week. | |
| The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) claimed responsibility for the attacks. | The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) claimed responsibility for the attacks. |
| They attacked a major trunk pipeline in Nembe Creek, Shell confirmed. | |
| The location of the second attack is yet to be confirmed. | |
| Mend told journalists last week they would attack two major pipelines in order to prove they were not being paid protection money to stay away from oil infrastructure. | |
| The head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation last week admitted to paying militants to allow repairs to a pipeline. | The head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation last week admitted to paying militants to allow repairs to a pipeline. |
| The NNPC later said he had been quoted out of context and the money had gone to communities, not to militants. | The NNPC later said he had been quoted out of context and the money had gone to communities, not to militants. |
| Kidnaps | Kidnaps |
| Earlier, five foreign oil workers seized in Nigeria by militants were freed, security officials told the BBC. | Earlier, five foreign oil workers seized in Nigeria by militants were freed, security officials told the BBC. |
| The group, thought to be Russians, were kidnapped on Thursday on the way to a deep offshore oil field. | The group, thought to be Russians, were kidnapped on Thursday on the way to a deep offshore oil field. |
| The boat was hijacked just after leaving its navy escort and taken to a creek in the swampy Niger Delta. | The boat was hijacked just after leaving its navy escort and taken to a creek in the swampy Niger Delta. |
| It was the second group of foreigners to be kidnapped and then released in the past four days in the Delta, which has seen a recent surge in violence. | It was the second group of foreigners to be kidnapped and then released in the past four days in the Delta, which has seen a recent surge in violence. |
| Two people were shot and wounded and eight foreign oil workers kidnapped on Saturday. | Two people were shot and wounded and eight foreign oil workers kidnapped on Saturday. |
| The eight, also believed to be Russians, were released hours after they were taken from a tanker on the Bonny River. | The eight, also believed to be Russians, were released hours after they were taken from a tanker on the Bonny River. |
| In both cases, security officials said no ransom had been paid. | In both cases, security officials said no ransom had been paid. |
| More than 200 foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta over the past two years, but they are often released after payment of ransom. | More than 200 foreign oil workers have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta over the past two years, but they are often released after payment of ransom. |
| The group of five released on Monday worked for the oil services company Saipem. | The group of five released on Monday worked for the oil services company Saipem. |
| It is believed the tanker which came under attack belongs to Global Gas and Refining Ltd, a Nigerian subsidiary of US-based Global Energy Inc, which has been stationed along the Bonny river for more than two years. | It is believed the tanker which came under attack belongs to Global Gas and Refining Ltd, a Nigerian subsidiary of US-based Global Energy Inc, which has been stationed along the Bonny river for more than two years. |
| It is not known who carried out the kidnappings. | It is not known who carried out the kidnappings. |
| Mend ended a unilaterally announced ceasefire after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK would help train the Nigerian military amid efforts to tackle violence in the Delta. | Mend ended a unilaterally announced ceasefire after British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK would help train the Nigerian military amid efforts to tackle violence in the Delta. |
| The militants say they are fighting to ensure that Niger Delta residents see more benefits of the oil wealth. | |
| But some are criminal gangs, making money from ransom payments and stealing oil. |