Lagos - Nigerian militant group MEND said it had attacked two oil pipelines belonging to Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell in the southern Rivers state on Sunday.
Rebel attacks have already cut Nigeria's oil production by about a quarter over the past three years.
The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) said in a statement it had "pounded" a Shell pipeline at Adamakiri at 2.30am and another at Kula shortly after.
A Shell official confirmed the two attacks but said production did not appear to have been greatly affected. The official refused to give more details while waiting for an on-site inspection.
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MEND, which in June declared an "all-out oil war" aimed at halting production, had claimed an attack on another Shell oil pipeline in Bayelsa state on Thursday.
The group's latest statement warned US oil giant Chevron, accusing it of letting the Nigerian military use one of its airstrips for jet fighters and helicopter gunships "used in the attacks and bombing of civilian communities."
"By allowing its facilities to be used in committing atrocities against the host communities where it drills oil and gas from, Chevron has repeated the same mistake by Shell against the Ogoni communities and will pay a price in double measure," the statement said.
Shell has become a regular target for militant attacks in southern Nigeria over the past three years, forcing it to shut some facilities and several times defer contracted deliveries to clients.
The company said Wednesday it was forced to defer shipments of crude oil from its Nigerian Forcados exports terminal for two months due to delays repairing a key pipeline blown up in March.
MEND's latest attack came one day after it blew up a pipeline supplying crude oil to Italian oil group Agip, which confirmed the "act of sabotage" in Bayelsa state.
Unrest in the Niger Delta has substantially reduced Nigeria's oil output, putting pressure on crucial export earnings.
Daily oil production in Nigeria currently stands at 1.8 million barrels, according to the June report of the International Energy Agency, down from 2.6 million barrels in 2006.
Nigeria was Africa's leading oil producer but it has been overtaken by Angola since the troubles started.
President Umaru Yar'Adua has promised to unveil details of an amnesty package for militants within a week, as part of efforts to end the unrest and save the crucial oil and gas industry. - AFP
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