Oil neared $67 on Wednesday as Nigerian militants set their sights on Total , Agip and Chevron operations in a drive to halt oil flows from the world's eighth biggest crude exporter. Previously the rebel Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had focused on Royal Dutch Shell forcing Nigeria's biggest foreign operator to scale back output by 226,000 barrels per day, roughly 10 percent of national output. In a statement e-mailed to Reuters on Wednesday, the group said it had widened its attacks to Agip and Total facilities and would also target Chevron. Agip and Total issued denials. U.S. crude oil climbed as far as $66.91 a barrel, the highest since Sept. 30 last year, and was up 52 cents at $66.83 at 1020 GMT. London Brent crude was up 45 cents at $65.35. "We have decided not to limit our attacks to Shell as our ultimate aim is to prevent Nigeria from exporting oil," the rebels said. "Pipelines, loading points, export tankers, tank farms, refined petroleum depots, landing strips and residences of employees of these companies can expect to be attacked. We know where they live, shop and where the children go to school." Most of Nigeria's oil is produced in the Niger Delta where an estimated 20 million people live in poverty alongside a multibillion-dollar industry.