Petroleum Africa
Find us on: 
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Rumors out of Libya is that the country’s security force expects the seized ports in the eastern portion of the country to open before the end of the week. Leaders of the autonomy movement in that region of the country have been blocking Libya’s three ports that had, until the protests exported around 600,000 bpd of oil, said they would end the stoppage if the government agreed to give the east a share of the oil.
Protests have cut Libya’s output severely limiting the commodity’s contribution to the government’s budget.
“The meeting (on Tuesday) was beneficial for all Libyans because the ports will reopen on December the 15,” General Idris Abukhamada, head of the national oil protection force in charge of securing oil facilities, told reporters. Abukhamada was appointed by the government after the previous top commander, Ibrahim Jathran, defected in the summer and seized the Ras Lanuf, es-Sider and Zueitina ports with his heavily armed men.
Jathran, head of the autonomy movement, said on December 10 that he was willing to reopen the ports if the government met his demands for a greater share of Libya’s oil wealth and more political power.
Abukhamada said his conditions would not stand in the way of reopening the ports. “The conditions are just cosmetic,” he said, without elaborating.
While Abukhamada said these conditions were just cosmetic, another report has the autonomy group saying that if their conditions were not met they would begin trying to sell crude oil on their own.
“We have given the government a deadline by Dec 15 to meet our demands,” Essam al-Jihani, a member of a self-declared regional autonomy movement, told Reuters.
" 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">
