Crude oil rose above $58 a barrel after a Nigerian militant group threatened to block waterways used for energy exports and as an explosion and fire at a Sunoco Inc. refinery “impacted” operations in the U.S. Northeast. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in an e-mailed statement that ships moving through the southern part of the nation would be traveling at their own risk. Sunoco, the largest refiner in the Northeast, said the incident at the Marcus Hook plant, located on the border of Pennsylvania and Delaware, took place late yesterday. “The situation in Nigeria is becoming increasingly unsettled,” said John Kilduff, senior vice president of energy at MF Global in New York. “The problems at the Sunoco refinery, which is a major supplier of gasoline to New York Harbor, are also giving the market a boost.” Crude oil for June delivery rose $1.68, or 3 percent, to $58.02 a barrel at 9:04 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures are up 30 percent this year. The June Nymex oil contract expires tomorrow. The more-actively-traded July contract rose $1.83, or 3.2 percent, to $58.83 a barrel. Gasoline for June delivery rose 5.74 cents, or 3.4 percent, to $1.738 a gallon in New York. Futures touched $1.7485, the highest since Oct. 21. Fighting in Nigeria has escalated since May 13 when the Nigerian militants said they responded to an army offensive by attacking military positions and hijacking a tanker. MEND claimed responsibility yesterday for rupturing two pipelines supplying oil and natural gas from a Chevron Corp. facility to domestic refineries and power stations. The rebel group has threatened to blockade waterways in the southern region used for oil and gas exports. Nigerian Oil Nigeria produces low-sulfur, or sweet, crude oil, prized by U.S. refiners because of the proportion of high-value gasoline and diesel it yields. There were no injuries at Marcus Hook and all personnel have been accounted for, Thomas Golembeski, a company spokesman, said in an e-mail. The refinery can process 175,000 barrels of oil a day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. “The fire, which is located at the ethylene unit, is contained and under control,” said Golembeski. “The cause of the fire is being investigated. Right now, our main focus is on protecting the health and safety of our employees as well as the surrounding community.” Brent crude for July settlement rose $2.14, or 3.8 percent, to $58.12 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange.

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