The self-styled Niger Delta Avengers said Friday it had bombed oil production facilities operated by Eni and Shell in the Niger Delta region, the latest in a series of attacks on infrastructure this year that has seen Nigeria's crude output nearly halved.
The group said in a tweet it had bombed the Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba crude oil pipelines operated by Eni in southern Bayelsa state at about 0100 GMT and about an hour later blew up the 48-inch Forcados export line operated by Shell.
A Shell spokesman said: "We are investigating the reported attack on our pipelines in the Western Niger Delta area".
A spokesman for the ethnic Ijay Youths Council, Udengs Eradiri confirmed the attacks. "It is unfortunate," he said.
Renewed militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta, which resurfaced after years of relative calm, has seen Nigeria's crude oil and condensate production fall almost 50% since the start of the year to around 1.1 million b/d, state-owned oil company Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. said last week.
Independent producer Eland Oil and Gas, which uses the Forcados pipeline to transport around 5,000 b/d of crude produced from its Opuama field, said Friday there was no breach on any of its facilities in the area.
"The company confirms that it is not aware of any incidents on its properties and confirms that the company's continuing maintenance and operational activity remains unaffected," Eland said.
The Niger Delta Avengers said its latest attacks were "in line with our promise to all international oil companies and indigenous oil companies that Nigeria oil production will be zero".
It said it had "been able to drop Nigeria oil production from 2 million barrels [per day] to just 800,000 barrels without killing a soul".
The Niger Delta Avengers said it attacked the Forcados pipeline again, having told Shell not to repair it -- the pipeline was attacked in February, resulting in Shell declaring force majeure on exports of Forcados crude.
State oil company Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., whose upstream subsidiary Nigerian Petroleum Development Co. uses the Forcados pipeline to transport crude, said previously the facility would be repaired by end-June.
On Tuesday, the Niger Delta Avengers threatened more attacks on oil installations as well as oil workers in reprisal for a military raid on a militant hideout. The threat was followed by attacks on two oil wells operated by Chevron in the Niger Delta.
The Niger Delta Avengers group has claimed responsibility for most recent attacks on oil facilities in the region, including last Saturday's attacks on the Nembe 1, 2 and 3 Brass to Bonny trunk line owned by Eni and indigenous company Aiteo.
