Tanker Docks at Libya's Es Sider Port to Load First Crude Cargo in Two Years
An oil tanker docked at the east Libyan port of Es Sider on Monday to load the first cargo of crude since the terminal reopened following a two-year closure, port officials said. Es Sider, Libya's biggest export terminal, had been shut due to a blockade by a military faction since 2014. It reopened in mid September, but repairs were needed before tankers could load at the port, and its capacity remains far below its pre-conflict level of 350,000 barrels per day (bpd). Es Sider is one of four ports seized in September by forces loyal to east Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, which allowed Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) to reopen them, doubling national production to about 600,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Libya's Largest Oil Port Begins Work
Libya has begun maintenance of the port of Es-Sider, biggest in the country of the terminal on oil export as part of plans to increase output from Africa’s biggest holder of crude reserves, says RNS. Exports should resume in a month once official orders are received to reopen the port, says Bloomberg quoting Galal Mohamed, head of operations at Waha Oil Co. Es-Sider is part of the plan of the authorities for increase in oil extraction. The port belongs to the Waha Oil company. It has been closed since December, 2014 because of armed attack. In half a year after start of port the company plans to come to amount of 75 thousand oil barrels a day. The state National Oil Corp.
Islamic State Targets Es Sider Port Again
Islamic State militants resumed shelling near the Libyan oil port of Es Sider on Tuesday and an oil storage tank in the port was hit causing a fire, a petroleum guards spokesman and the National Oil Corporation said. The guards spokesman said the militants were 30-40 km (19-25 miles) from the port, which they also targeted on Monday in an attack that left seven guards dead and 25 wounded. In the nearby oil port of Ras Lanuf, a fire at an oil tank that was hit on Monday had been mostly contained but was still burning, the spokesman said. Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli
Islamic State Militants Attack Forces Guarding Libya Oil Port - official
Islamic State militants attacked forces guarding one of Libya's main oil ports on Thursday with a gun assault and an attempted car bomb in an escalation of their campaign in the North African state, a local security official said. Islamic State has gained ground in Libya where two rival governments -- one internationally recognized and the other self-declared -- are battling for control, leaving a security vacuum four years after the uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi. Militants attacked guards at a gate near Es Sider port, which is under the control of forces allied with the recognized government, the security official said. The terminal has been closed since December because of fighting with other rival armed factions and problems at supply oilfields.
Libya Plans to Sell Ex-rebel Tanker
Libya plans to sell a tanker that a former rebel group used in an attempt to bypass the Libyan government and export oil on its own last year, the Tripoli-based state prosecutor said on Thursday. The group had loaded crude on the "Morning Glory" at the eastern port of Es Sider and sailed in March 2014. U.S. Navy SEALs stopped the tanker off Cyprus and returned it to Tripoli. "The office of the prosecutor general announces the sale of the Morning Glory tanker," the prosecutor said on its website, the accuracy of which was confirmed by an official at the prosecutor's office. An auction is scheduled for next Thursday. The incident typifies the chaos in Libya since the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
North Korea-flagged tanker finishes loading at Libya rebel port
A North Korean-flagged tanker has finished loading crude at the Libyan rebel-controlled port of Es Sider but has not yet left the terminal, Libyan oil officials said on Monday. Libya's government has threatened to bomb the Morning Glory should the tanker try sailing off with crude from the eastern port, one of three seized by armed protesters demanding a share of oil revenues and political autonomy. "The tanker has finished loading but is still anchored in Es Sider," a senior oil official said. Reporting by Ulf Laessing, Feras Bosalum and Ayman al-Warfalli
Malta Opens Investigation into Libya Tanker Incident
The Maltese Government and Transport Malta said they are are investigating the alleged accident involving the Malta registered ship MT Baku, in international waters, off the coast of Libya. The government has been in continuous contact with the owners of the ship and the Libyan authorities, since Sunday evening when the events started to develop. Malta, as the flag State of the ship, made immediate representations with the Libyan Government and it was only after its intervention that the ship sailed to outside Maltese territorial waters. The safety of the crew and the ship was of utmost priority throughout the events. Malta shall continue to pursue the matter with the Libyan authorities in order to ensure that Maltese interests are protected in terms of international maritime law…
Two Greek Oil Tankers Sail from Libya's Es Sider
According to a report from Reuters, two fully loaded Greek tankers carrying around 1.2 million barrels of crude oil left the Libyan port of Es Sider on March 1, the vessels' owner said. (Source: Reuters)
