Oil prices close in on 50 dollars after striking new record peaks

LONDON, Sept 27 (AFP) - World oil prices raced to record high levels approaching 50 dollars per barrel on Monday as unrest in oil producers Nigeria and Saudi Arabia stoked supply worries, traders said.
In New York the price of light sweet crude for November delivery climbed to an all-time high of 49.52 dollars per barrel in pre-opening electronic trading ahead of formal pit deals.
The contract rose 64 cents from Friday`s closing price to exceed the previous record peak of 49.40 dollar per barrel reached on August 20.
The price of reference Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery in November meanwhile rose 92 cents to hit a record peak of 46.25 dollars in London.
Oil prices soared to new summits after two oil majors in Nigeria evacuated non-essential workers from the troubled Niger Delta oil region and as police clashed with suspected Islamic militants in Saudi Arabia`s capital Riyadh at the weekend.