Gunmen abduct oil worker, hit terminal in Nigeria

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria, May 5 (Reuters) Gunmen abducted a British oil worker from a drilling rig off Nigeria's coast and attacked a nearby oil export terminal today, diplomats and security sources said.

The Briton was taken from a rig known as Trident 8 off the coast of the southern state of Bayelsa, while the other attack occurred nearby at the 200,000 barrel per day Brass crude oil export terminal operated by Italian oil company Agip, they said.

''A British national was taken from a rig off the coast of Bayelsa state,'' a British High Commission official said.

Security sources had originally reported two foreign workers abducted from the rig, but said the second missing person later resurfaced after hiding in his cabin.

The companies operating the facilities were not immediately available for comment.

The latest abduction brings to 27 the number of foreign workers kidnapped in the world's eighth largest oil exporter this week. Eight were released and 19 are still being held.

Militants fighting for more autonomy in the oil-producing Niger Delta have stepped up a campaign of attacks and kidnappings on Western oil facilities in Nigeria, but the line between militancy and crime are blurred and most abductions in Nigeria are motivated by groups seeking ransom payments.

Hostages are almost always treated well and released unharmed, although some have been killed by Nigerian troops in clumsy rescue attempts.

REUTERS SG VV1544