Nigerian militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) has claimed it has attacked two major crude oil pipelines operated by Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell.
"In keeping with our pledge to resume pipeline attacks within the next 30 days, detonation engineers backed by heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta … sabotaged two major pipelines in Rivers state of Nigeria," the group said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
Mend, whose attacks have cut Nigeria’s oil output by around a fifth since early 2006, said the attacks took place early this morning in Kula and Rumuekpe in the Niger Delta.
However, Shell said it was investigating an apparent attack on the Nembe Creek trunkline.
"We are conducting an overfly at this moment and cannot comment on any further details," said Precious Okolobo, a spokesman for Shell in Nigeria.
Industry sources said about 130,000 barrels per day of crude oil flows through the pipeline to the Bonny export terminal.

(Upstream Online)