LIBYA: Oil in seized tanker belongs to Libya's east - rebel leader

Record ID: 344435

  • Title: LIBYA: Oil in seized tanker belongs to Libya's east - rebel leader
  • Date: 18th March 2014
  • Summary: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3 RESENDING WITH SCRIPT TRIPOLI, LIBYA (MARCH 18, 2014) (REUTERS) LIBYAN ACTING OIL MINISTER OMAR SHAKMAK STANDING AT PODIUM DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYA ACTING OIL MINISTER, OMAR SHAKMAK, SAYING: "When this tanker reaches one of the ports it will be under the control of one of the companies of the petroleum agency and it will be dealt with according to the existing system of technical processes through which the fuel will be unloaded." CLOSE OF SIGN READING (Arabic) ''OIL'' (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYA ACTING OIL MINISTER, OMAR SHAKMAK, SAYING: "Production is less that 240 thousand barrels, a part of which is sent to some refineries which have limited capabilities." CLOSE OF LIBYAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYA ACTING OIL MINISTER, OMAR SHAKMAK, SAYING: "Oil exports in the past two or three weeks was between 100 thousand and 120 thousand barrels per day which is considered our lowest production level." CLOSE OF LOGO SHAKMAK LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Conflict,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA6IQSUY5WSH229EUHNZWJERSHC
  • Story Text: A Libyan rebel leader said on Tuesday (March 18) the oil in a tanker seized by the U.S. Navy belongs to the people of Libya's eastern Cyrenaica region and called on the Arab League to intervene.
    Ibrahim Jathran and his followers are seeking greater autonomy for the eastern area and have blocked several ports there since July 2013. Tripoli has repeatedly failed to negotiate a peaceful end to the blockade, which has crippled the OPEC country's finances as its main revenue stream remains shut.
    His latest attempt to export oil independently of Tripoli turned sour at the weekend after a U.S. Navy commando team boarded the Morning Glory tanker near Cyprus after the vessel eluded Libya's own navy.
    The ship had loaded oil from rebel-controlled Es Sider port.
    Libya's acting oil minister Omar Shakmak in Tripoli told reporters the tanker will return to a government-controlled port and will be dealt with accordingly.
    "When this tanker reaches one of the ports it will be under the control of one of the companies of the petroleum agency and it will be dealt with according to the existing system of technical processes through which the fuel will be unloaded," said Shakmak on Tuesday.
    Libya has exported between 100,000 and 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil in the last two weeks, he added.
    The country's exports have been well below its capacity of around 1.25 million bpd since July 2013 when militias and protesters began blocking its major oil export terminals and oilfields.
    Speaking to a rebel television station, Jathran said the United States had helped the government steal oil from the people in Libya's east.
    "On March 17, 2014, the news reports said the U.S. Navy had attacked the oil tanker that left the Libyan waters two days before, which was carrying a shipment of oil from the Es Sider port in the Barqa province after it had left the Libyan waters under the protection of (Libyan) maritime protection forces and Barqa defence forces. And while it was travelling, the militias of the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies and criminals opened fire on it in international waters and while it was heading to Cyprus for repairs of damage it was pirated by the U.S. Navy once again while it was in the international waters."
    Jathran called for the international community to help build up state institutions, adding: "We will continue our fight."
    While Jathran's oil sale proved unsuccessful, the episode led to the dismissal of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan, who fled to Europe last week.
    Western powers, worried that Libya might fracture or slide deeper into chaos, have been training Libyan armed forces and cajoling conflicting parties in government to reach a settlement, with little progress.
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