Strike, rebel attacks hit Nigerian oil output

By Tume Ahemba

LAGOS (Reuters) - A strike by workers and attacks by rebels have forced Nigeria's two biggest oil firms, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, to shut in some production, keeping world oil prices near all-time highs on Friday.

Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Nigeria's leading producer, started closing down its output because of a strike by workers over a labor dispute, with one union official saying 200,000 barrels per day of crude were already shut in.

"The entire company is on strike today. All output (from Exxon's Nigerian oilfields) is affected," an Exxon official, who asked not to be named, said.

Rebels in the Niger Delta meanwhile attacked a major oil pipeline belonging to Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) late on Thursday, the fourth such attack in a week.

"We can confirm there was an attack on our pipeline around the Kula area in Rivers state," Precious Okolobo, a spokesman for Shell in Nigeria, said. "We are trying to get more details on the extent of the damage."

Shell has already been forced to shut 169,000 bpd of Bonny Light crude oil production after a pipeline attack in the Delta a week ago and has said it also investigating the damage from two further strikes on Monday.

It has declared force majeure on Bonny Light exports for the rest of April and May, meaning it cannot guarantee to meet its contract commitments, although it has said some barrels would still be exported while the measure is in place.

"Our candid advice to the oil majors is that they should not waste their time repairing any lines as we will continue to sabotage them," MEND said in an emailed statement.