TRIPOLI, July 9 (Reuters) – Libyan security forces guarding the country’s major Ras Lanuf oil port will seize any tankers approaching the terminal without permission after a force majeure was lifted there, the country’s recognised government said on Thursday.
The warning over Ras Lanuf illustrates how the OPEC country’s oil industry is caught up in a power struggle between two rival governments and their armed forces who have each appointed competing figures in the state oil company.
The internationally recognised government and elected parliament has operated in the east since last year when an armed faction called Libya Dawn took over the capital, set up its own government and took control of ministries in Tripoli.
Earlier this week, the National Oil Corporation based in Tripoli said it was lifting the force majeure measure on the Ras Lanuf oil terminal which had been shut since December because of fighting between the rival factions.
But Ras Lanuf is protected by an armed force allied to the internationally recognised government, which has appointed its own NOC chief who claims to represent the country’s industry.
The recognised government’s NOC chairman, Yousef Bu Saifi told Reuters the force majeure was still in effect and orders given to the Petroleum Facilities Guard or PFG at Ras Lanuf.
“We have asked the PFG to intercept any tankers trying to approach the oilfields for security and technical reasons. The force majeure is still in place,” he said.
Ali Al-Hasi, the PFG guard commander for the area around Ras Lanuf, said he had received orders to warn vessels away and to arrest crew if they did not comply.
Foreign vessels off Libya’s coast have in the past come under attack or air strikes from Libya’s armed factions, often because they are believed to be carrying arms or supplies for the rival group.
Four years after the civil war ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is in chaos after brigades of former rebels who once fought together against the strongman have steadily turned against one another in a battle for power.
Libya’s oil industry has been badly hit. Strikes, protests and the conflict have closed down several major oilfields as well as ports. Production is less than half the 1.6 million barrels per day the North African state produced before 2011. (Writing by Patrick Markey; Additional reporting by Ayman Al-Warfalli in Benghazi; editing by David Evans)
SINGAPORE, April 24 (Reuters) – Demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power ships will rise this year on attractive prices, while more dual-fuel vessels join the global fleet, industry executives said....
ROME (Reuters) – An Italian judge on Friday cleared three migrant sea rescue charities that had been accused of abetting irregular immigration in complicity with human traffickers, throwing out a case opened...
(Bloomberg) — The closure of one of the East Coast’s busiest ports after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge has so far not led to broad price increases,...
April 19, 2024
Total Views: 2191
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.