Category: Libya

Fighting between rival militia in Tripoli Sunday caused a storage tank containing petroleum fuel to catch fire at a complex near the Tripoli airport, oil and security officials in the Libyan capital said. A "tank containing 6.6 million liters of petrol" caught fire late Sunday as a result of fighting between rival militia vying for the control of Tripoli airport, one oil official said. The complex where the storage tank is located contains 90 million liters of fuel and cooking gas, sparking a risk of massive explosion, the official said The news comes after escalating violence led to the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli Saturday. Libya’s Ministry of Interior, which showed pictures of fire brigades trying to put down the fire on its Facebook page, said it was asking residents to leave the area. The news comes as Libya’s Ministry of Health said Sunday that the death […]

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The Libyan authorities have called for a ceasefire to allow firefighters to tackle the blaze Continue reading the main story Libya has requested international assistance to put out a fire at a large fuel storage site in Tripoli that was hit by a rocket during militia clashes. The huge blaze could cause a "humanitarian and environmental disaster," the government has warned. It is the largest facility in Tripoli, containing 6.6 million litres of fuel. At least 97 people have been killed in fighting between rival militia groups battling for control of Tripoli’s main airport in the past week. Fighting in the eastern city of Benghazi has also intensified, with at least 38 people killed in clashes between troops loyal to the Libyan government and Islamist fighters on Sunday. Calls for evacuation A statement by the prime minister’s office said it had requested international assistance "as a precaution". "Several countries […]

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The Libyan authorities have called for a ceasefire to allow firefighters to tackle the blaze Continue reading the main story Libya has requested international assistance to put out a fire at a large fuel storage site in Tripoli that was hit by a rocket during militia clashes. The huge blaze could cause a "humanitarian and environmental disaster," the government has warned. It is the largest facility in Tripoli, containing 6.6 million litres of fuel. At least 97 people have been killed in fighting between rival militia groups battling for control of Tripoli’s main airport in the past week. Fighting in the eastern city of Benghazi has also intensified, with at least 38 people killed in clashes between troops loyal to the Libyan government and Islamist fighters on Sunday. Calls for evacuation A statement by the prime minister’s office said it had requested international assistance "as a precaution". "Several countries […]

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Libya’s Eastern port of Brega is set to restart crude exports after a tanker arrived Thursday, the port said, as the North African country ramps up exports despite escalating violence in the capital. The Overseas Fran tanker arrived in Brega to load 750,000 barrels of crude which will be delivered to the Italian port of Genoa, the oil port said on its Facebook page. Shipping tracking website Marinetraffic.com confirmed the Overseas Fran was due to arrive Thursday in Brega. The news come after an agreement between the government and striking guards over wages paved the way for the port reopening Tuesday. There hasn’t been any crude-oil tanker leaving the port since late June, according to shipping-tracking website FleetMon.com. Earlier this week, exports of oil from the Sharara field also restarted after a five-month interruption. The developments come despite escalating violence in Libya’s capital Tripoli as rival militias fighting for […]

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Libya is preparing a new pricing strategy for its crude exports that may include further discounts after a sales offer last week failed because potential buyers offered “unacceptable” prices, according to state-run National Oil Corp. Libya plans to offer different crude prices before the end of next month that will compensate customers for the additional risk of loading oil in the country, Ahmed Shawki, marketing director at National Oil, said by phone from Tripoli today. The country reduced July export prices for seven grades of crude by as much as $1.90 a barrel, according to a price list from National Oil obtained by Bloomberg News on July 18. “Tenders were not awarded because the price was unacceptable,” Shawki said. “They were meant to test the market as we prepare a pricing strategy.” Exports of oil from Libya were disrupted after political feuding closed oilfields and export terminals a year […]

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Islamist militants attacked an army base in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Monday, triggering fierce clashes involving helicopters and jets that killed at least seven people and wounded 40 others after days of escalating violence. Benghazi’s clashes followed a week of fighting between rival militias for control of Tripoli International Airport in the capital that has prompted the North Africa country to appeal for international help to stop Libya becoming a failed state. Tripoli was calmer on Monday, but in Benghazi, militants linked to Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia attacked an army camp and were repelled by troops and forces loyal to renegade retired general Khalifa Haftar, who has been carrying out a self-declared war on Islamist fighters, security sources said. "Ansar al-Sharia tried to take over one special forces camp, but the special forces and Hafter’s forces fought back, using helicopters and military […]

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Islamist militants attacked an army base in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Monday, triggering fierce clashes involving helicopters and jets that killed at least seven people and wounded 40 others after days of escalating violence. Benghazi’s clashes followed a week of fighting between rival militias for control of Tripoli International Airport in the capital that has prompted the North Africa country to appeal for international help to stop Libya becoming a failed state. Tripoli was calmer on Monday, but in Benghazi, militants linked to Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia attacked an army camp and were repelled by troops and forces loyal to renegade retired general Khalifa Haftar, who has been carrying out a self-declared war on Islamist fighters, security sources said. "Ansar al-Sharia tried to take over one special forces camp, but the special forces and Hafter’s forces fought back, using helicopters and military […]

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Libya’s electoral committee on Monday announced results of an earlier parliamentary election, but many fear it might fuel the ongoing clashes between pro-secular militia and armed Islamist groups. The polls, held on June 25, elected the new parliament House of Representatives to replace the previous General National Congress. All 1,714 contestants were registered as independent candidates, as party lists are not allowed under current electoral law. Of the total 200 seats in the new parliament, 188 were set, while the remaining 12 seats were absent due to boycott or insecurity in some electoral districts, according to Libya’s High National Electoral Commission. Analysts said the secular factions have seemingly taken most of the seats, while the Islamist lawmakers, who had a bigger say in the old parliament, only won around 30 seats this time. Some feared that the results might intensify the current armed clashes between […]

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The first export from Libya’s largest oil field Sharara is due later Monday but production has fallen since last week , an official said. The expected shipment is the first tangible sign that a recent recovery in the country’s troubled oil industry could translate into extra supplies to global markets. Eni’s West Libyan Gas Project, Wafa oil field in Libya-the French firm also owns a share of the Sharara oil field that is due to make its first export on Monday 21 July. European Pressphoto Agency The reopening of two key Eastern terminals and of the Sharara field have been overshadowed by the pullout of oil expatriates following escalating violence in Tripoli’s airport . But a spokesman for Libya’s state-run National Oil Co. said that "shipment will start today" for Sharara’s oil. The field, located in Western Libya, resumed production 12 days ago but its initial supply was used […]

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The first export from Libya’s largest oil field Sharara is due later Monday but production has fallen since last week , an official said. The expected shipment is the first tangible sign that a recent recovery in the country’s troubled oil industry could translate into extra supplies to global markets. Eni’s West Libyan Gas Project, Wafa oil field in Libya-the French firm also owns a share of the Sharara oil field that is due to make its first export on Monday 21 July. European Pressphoto Agency The reopening of two key Eastern terminals and of the Sharara field have been overshadowed by the pullout of oil expatriates following escalating violence in Tripoli’s airport . But a spokesman for Libya’s state-run National Oil Co. said that "shipment will start today" for Sharara’s oil. The field, located in Western Libya, resumed production 12 days ago but its initial supply was used […]

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