First Tanker To Libyan Rebel Area Chartered By Vitol-Lloyd’s

LONDON (Dow Jones)–The first tanker scheduled to arrive in rebel-held eastern Libya in several weeks was chartered by trader Vitol Group, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Tuesday.

Vitol didn’t return requests for comment.

The shipping data provider said Monday morning an oil tanker was due to arrive in Eastern Libya Tuesday–the first since the opposition’s Transitional National Council clinched a deal with Qatar to market its crude late March.

The crude is to be loaded at the Marsa el-Hariga terminal, in the Tobruk area, Lloyd’s said.

The loading–if completed as planned–would signal a resumption of crude exports after they stopped last month amid a civil war between the regime of Muammar Gadhafi and its opponents.

-By Benoit Faucon, Dow Jones Newswires

Photo: The tanker, identified as the Liberian flagged Equator, is a suezmax tanker built in 2006 with 149,997 dwt.  The vessel is owned and operated by Dynacom Tankers Management. Photo courtesy VesselTracker.com

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