UPDATE 9-Nigerian militants launch new attacks in "oil war"

(Releads, adds cut in Nigeria oil output, hostages)

By Austin Ekeinde

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Nigerian militants on Monday attacked oil facilities, killing a guard and forcing the evacuation of nearly 100 workers, in a third day of fighting with security forces that has disrupted oil output.

Security sources said the three days of clashes were the heaviest between the two sides since the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) launched a campaign of violence in early 2006 saying it wanted more local control of the impoverished region's oil wealth.

MEND declared an "oil war" on Sunday and warned all oil workers to leave the delta immediately, threatening to disrupt production further in the world's eighth largest oil exporter.

"MEND reiterates its previous warnings to all oil workers in the entire Niger Delta region to evacuate from oil facilities and halt production with immediate effect or they will have themselves to blame," the group said in an e-mailed statement.

Two security sources in the oil industry, who did not want to be named, said more than 100 people may have been killed by the fighting, which has spread to at least seven villages in Rivers state.

Up to 115,000 barrels per day of oil production may have been halted since Saturday, government officials said. A fifth of the OPEC member's oil output has already been shut down for the last two years due to the violence.

Oil traders shrugged off the news as prices CLc1 briefly hit a seven-month low near $94 a barrel on Monday.

GUNBOAT ATTACK

Around 10 militant gunboats attacked a Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) flow station and gas plant at Alakiri in Rivers state early Monday morning, a military spokesman said.

"The attack lasted over an hour. Dynamite and bombs were massively detonated by the miscreants," said Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, spokesman for the military task force in Rivers state. "The situation is being closely monitored and is under control."

A Shell spokeswoman said a security guard was killed and four other people were wounded in the attack.

The company has reduced the number of employees at some of its Nigerian oilfields, but it could not specify how many or from which fields due to security reasons.

An industry source said nearly 100 staff were evacuated from the facility.