NEW YORK, June 2 (Xinhua) -- World crude oil prices surged above 72 dollars Friday on concerns over Nigeria.

    New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in July, rose 1.99 dollars to 72.33 dollars per barrel in closing trades.

    In London, Brent North Sea crude for July delivery rose 1.64 dollars to 71.03 dollars per barrel.

    Gunmen kidnapped eight foreign workers on an oil rig off the coast of Nigeria Thursday night, posing a new threat to the oil output of the west African country, the biggest oil exporter in the continent. About one-fourth of Nigeria's daily output is stillshut after a series of militant attacks. Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer and the fifth-biggest source of U.S. oil imports.

    Iran refused on Thursday any precondition for talks with the United States over its controversial nuclear issue. The EU has putforward a package of both incentives, including providing a light-water reactor to Iran, and possible penalties if Iran fails to cooperate.

    The Department of Energy said Thursday that reserves of gasoline rose by 800,000 barrels to 209.3 million in the week ending May 26. Crude oil reserves increased 1.6 million barrels to345.5 million in the week. Enditem