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Libyan oil output plummeting

The Libyan government estimates crude oil exports are below 200,000 barrels per day because of ongoing internal political issues. The government said oil exports from the state-run National Oil Co. were 24.2 million barrels of oil for first quarter 2014. While on average, the rate is more than 200,000 bpd, the government said lingering stalemates with federalists pushed the recent daily rate even lower. Optimism over a rebound in the Libyan oil sector increased in April when the NOC announced it lifted an emergency declaration on oil operations at its Zueitina terminal in the east of the country, where anti-government forces have control. John Kingston , director of news operations for the Platts energy reporting agency, told Voice of America it appears Libyan oil exports have all but stopped and there is "no good news" coming from a nation that once produced about 1.6 million bpd. […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Libya’s top court rejects appointment of new PM

Libya’s top court on Monday rejected the Islamist-led parliament’s appointment of a new prime minister in a contested vote, ending one power struggle as a renegade general’s offensive against Islamist militias in the east rages on. The Supreme Constitutional Court declared Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteg’s appointment unconstitutional, but gave no further details or instructions. Islamists in parliament and Maiteg said they would abide by the decision, thus leaving interim Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni in office. The top U.N. envoy to Libya called the decision and promises to abide by it "a sign of hope." "This will not solve the political crisis but at least it would open the way forward towards a resumption of a normal political process," Tarek Mitri told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council in New York. Al-Thinni refused to give up his office after last month’s vote in parliament, which […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Libya's top court rejects appointment of new PM

Libya’s top court on Monday rejected the Islamist-led parliament’s appointment of a new prime minister in a contested vote, ending one power struggle as a renegade general’s offensive against Islamist militias in the east rages on. The Supreme Constitutional Court declared Prime Minister Ahmed Maiteg’s appointment unconstitutional, but gave no further details or instructions. Islamists in parliament and Maiteg said they would abide by the decision, thus leaving interim Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni in office. The top U.N. envoy to Libya called the decision and promises to abide by it "a sign of hope." "This will not solve the political crisis but at least it would open the way forward towards a resumption of a normal political process," Tarek Mitri told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council in New York. Al-Thinni refused to give up his office after last month’s vote in parliament, which […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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At Swearing-In, Ex-General Vows ‘Inclusive’ Egypt

CAIRO — Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former general who led the military takeover here nearly one year ago, was sworn in as president on Sunday, testing the bet that a new strongman can overcome the economic dysfunction and political polarization that bedeviled Egypt’s three-year experiment with democracy. In an address to dozens of visiting heads of state gathered in a gilded presidential palace, Mr. Sisi pledged to work for security and stability in Egypt and the region. “It is time for our great people to reap the harvest of their two revolutions,” he said, referring to the 2011 uprising that forced out President Hosni Mubarak and the 2013 protests that preceded the military takeover. Mr. Sisi, 59, now takes formal responsibility for a nation racked by three years of turmoil, scarred by the new government’s bloody crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and riven by deepening loathing between rival Islamist […]

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Libya: Oil Output Drops Further

Libya has much of the world’s highest quality crude oil. But since the fall of long-time leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, production has been sporadic and on the decline. After assessing Libya’s political instability, violence and armed groups battling for control, John Kingston summed up prospects for the country’s oil industry this way: "There’s essentially no good news there." Kingston is director of news for Platts, which provides information on the global energy, petrochemical, metals and agriculture industries. He said during Gadhafi’s rule, Libya produced about 1.6-million barrels a day. "Their quality of crude is extremely high. So, for production of transportation fuels, like gasoline and diesel, if you lose a barrel out of Libya, you have to produce more than a barrel of heavier crude somewhere else to make up for it. Not all barrels are alike. And a Libyan barrel is more equal than […]

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German energy company lauds Egyptian success

German energy company RWE Dea said Thursday it’s produced more than 640 million barrels of crude oil during its 30 years of operations in Egypt. The German oil and gas company marked Thursday as the 30th anniversary of work in the Gulf of Suez. It’s been working through the Suez Oil Co., a joint venture established with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. The company said production from the Ras Fanar, Zeit Bay and Ras Budran fields in Egypt have yielded 640 million barrels of oil since operations began in 1984. "For 30 years now, we have consistently leveraged new ideas to develop intelligent solutions, using the latest technology, and investing in our infrastructure," Maximilian Fellner, general manager of RWE Dea Egypt, said in a statement . "That’s how we have been able to maintain a high level of oil production from these three fields over an extended period of […]

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Militias in Libya Hard to Tame as Renegade General Steps In

Against the backdrop of a rising sun and an imposing lion, renegade Libyan general Khalifa Haftar strides over rugged terrain in combat fatigues and black boots. The propaganda imagery on Haftar’s Facebook page is part of his bid to rally the nation against Islamist militias in Libya’s east and their political allies in the capital, Tripoli. It borrows from that employed by Egypt ’s soldier-turned-president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who overthrew an elected Islamist leader before securing power at the ballot box. If Haftar harbors similar ambitions, his will be a far harder task. Three of his guards were killed in an assassination attempt in the eastern town of Abiyar, SkyNews Arabia TV channel reported today, giving no further details. Successive Libyan governments have failed to unify the forces that removed Muammar Qaddafi from power three years ago, with the chaos halting the recovery of crude output in the North […]

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Algeria talks shale with U.S. energy secretary

The Algerian government views shale oil and natural gas as a way to add diversity to its energy sector, Algerian Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi said. Yousfi met with visiting U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz in Algiers to discuss energy developments in the country, more than a year after terrorists stormed the In Amenas gas facility in the country’s eastern desert. "Algeria is currently evaluating the potential for shale oil and gas, attempting to determine the quality of the rock while studying all potential environmental impact," he said Sunday. "It is absolutely vital for us to use all possible resources to achieve energy security." Moniz, for his part, said U.S. companies experiencing success in the shale sector were interested in tapping into the Algerian energy market. Algeria has the tenth-largest natural gas deposits in the world and is the third-largest gas supplier to Europe. Its exports have […]

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Rogue Libyan general’s troops clash with militias

Libyan security officials say heavy fighting has broken out in the eastern city of Benghazi between forces loyal to a rogue general and Islamic militias. The officials say gunbattles started early Monday when a group of militants attacked Benghazi’s security headquarters where some of Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s forces are based. The officials are also saying that helicopter gunships flown by pilots loyal to the general have been bombing the base of the February 17 militia, as well as positions of another militia, the militant Ansar al-Shariah group, on the city’s western outskirts. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The Benghazi-based Hifter is leading a military campaign against Islamists dominating Libya’s political scene. He has vowed to crush them.

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Rogue Libyan general's troops clash with militias

Libyan security officials say heavy fighting has broken out in the eastern city of Benghazi between forces loyal to a rogue general and Islamic militias. The officials say gunbattles started early Monday when a group of militants attacked Benghazi’s security headquarters where some of Gen. Khalifa Hifter’s forces are based. The officials are also saying that helicopter gunships flown by pilots loyal to the general have been bombing the base of the February 17 militia, as well as positions of another militia, the militant Ansar al-Shariah group, on the city’s western outskirts. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The Benghazi-based Hifter is leading a military campaign against Islamists dominating Libya’s political scene. He has vowed to crush them.

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple