Petroleum Africa
Find us on: 
Monday, December 9, 2013
The eastern Libyan city of Benghazi saw Islamists take to the streets on December 6 demanding an end to the current government and an end to strikes and sit-ins stopping crude exports. Reports had about 300 Islamists protesting in the Benghazi streets, in what is the first sign of public opposition to the oil facility blockades that have been taking place in the North African country.
A regional autonomy movement has seized the country’s two biggest ports in Es-Sider and Ras Lanuf, both of them in eastern Libya, the source of 60% of the country’s oil wealth, a Reuters report said. These are not the only movements that are halting exports, other groups have halted exports at Hariga port in Tobruk.
“We demand the liberation of oil exports,” read a banner held up by Islamists gathered in Libya’s second-largest city where gunshots and car bombs occur almost daily. Ismail Salabi, a prominent Islamist militia leader, accused the strikers of devastating the economy. “We have many demands but the most important is to lift the port seizures,” he said.
Despite all the protests and the export shut-ins the country’s oil minister, Abdel Bari Ali Al-Arousi, said recently that production would hit normal levels in the next two weeks. Al Arousi said the government is planning to resume oil production to 1.5 million bpd. He also confirmed reports that all of its oil ports would be open by December 10. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an OPEC meeting in Vienna, Arousi said that Libya intends to resume its pre-summer-crisis oil production levels, although industry insiders believe this to be an optimistic claim.
" alt="First LNG Realized at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim Project">
" alt="United Energy Acquires Western Desert Producer APEX">
" alt="Baker Hughes Announces Major Gas Technology Orders for Venture Global LNG">
" alt="ReconAfrica: Naingopo Results Demonstrate a Working Petroleum System">
" alt="Tullow Highlights 2025 Operational Plans in Ghana">
" alt="TotalEnergies to Supply 1.5 TWh to STMicroelectronics in France Over 15 years">
" alt="Rockhopper Reaches Final Settlement with United on Egypt’s Abu Sennan Concession">
" alt="Oil & Gas Crucial for African Growth: AEC Calls for Industry Support to Defend African Market">
