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Libya Airport Is Crippled in Fighting by Militias

The halls of this city’s international airport have been emptied of passengers and converted into a barracks for fighters, with a kitchen and a field hospital. Smoke rose from the building on Tuesday, while beyond it, on the airfield, mortar shells crashed into the tarmac. Three days of pitched battles between feuding militias have left most of the airport’s commercial airplanes, runways and even the tower badly damaged, all but stranding Libyans as their country slides further into turmoil. The country has been plagued by violence for much of the time since Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s fall in 2011, as the central government has tried in vain to wrest authority from the powerful militias that control territory and vital installations like the airport. But the latest dark turn, marked by the demoralizing destruction of the airport but also by furious, deadly battles in Libya ’s two largest cities, […]

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Nigeria: Aviation Fuel Scarcity Paralyse Scheduled Operations at Nation’s Airports

Visit This Day (Lagos) Scarcity of aviation fuel known as Jet A1, has paralysed flight operations in Nigeria, leading to delays and cancellation of flights. The non-availability of the product which started few days ago, is forcing passengers to wait as long as seven hours before being airlifted, while flights to some destinations were cancelled due to the inability of the airlines to source the product. This had given rise to increase in fares, which might double by weekend if the scarcity continues as the largest Nigerian operator, Arik Air, has started merging its flights in order to ensure that passengers are taken to their destinations. A source from one of the domestic airlines said although the scarcity had started biting hard, the airline’s management has good relationship with its vendors so the scarcity would not disrupted its flights. But that depends on the size of the fleet because […]

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Nigeria: Aviation Fuel Scarcity Paralyse Scheduled Operations at Nation's Airports

Visit This Day (Lagos) Scarcity of aviation fuel known as Jet A1, has paralysed flight operations in Nigeria, leading to delays and cancellation of flights. The non-availability of the product which started few days ago, is forcing passengers to wait as long as seven hours before being airlifted, while flights to some destinations were cancelled due to the inability of the airlines to source the product. This had given rise to increase in fares, which might double by weekend if the scarcity continues as the largest Nigerian operator, Arik Air, has started merging its flights in order to ensure that passengers are taken to their destinations. A source from one of the domestic airlines said although the scarcity had started biting hard, the airline’s management has good relationship with its vendors so the scarcity would not disrupted its flights. But that depends on the size of the fleet because […]

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Rocket hits airport in Libyan capital

Several rockets have reportedly hit the airport in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, where fighting between rival armed groups has been raging since Sunday. Several Grad rocket struck the airport late on Monday,destroying 90 percent of the planes parked there, government spokesman Ahmed Lamine said.  "The government has studied the possibility to bring international forces to enhance security", he said. The attack also damaging the control tower, residents said. Two people were also killed in the attack, Reuters news agency reported. Authorities had closed the airport due to previous fighting on Sunday, which medics say killed at least seven people . Rival militias have clashed for control of the airport. The powerful Zintan armed group ,which has been in control of the airport since the fall of Gaddafi, was still holding it by Monday. The United Nations mission in Libya said it was withdrawing its staff from Libya "temporarily" because of the deteriorating […]

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Militia shells Tripoli airport, U.N. pulls staff out of Libya

TRIPOLI, Libya (Reuters) – A militia shelled Tripoli airport, destroying 90 percent of planes parked there, a Libyan government spokesman said, as heavy fighting between armed groups prompted the United Nations to pull its staff out of the North African country. At least 15 people have been killed in clashes in Tripoli and the eastern city of Benghazi since Sunday, and a Libyan official said several Grad rockets hit the Tripoli International Airport on Monday, damaging the control tower. Government spokesman Ahmed Lamine said 90 percent of the planes parked at the airport were destroyed. "The government has studied the possibility to bring international forces to enhance security," he told reporters On Tuesday. Three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has slipped deeper into chaos with its weak government and new army unable to control brigades of former rebel fighters and militias who often battle for political […]

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Cracks Start Showing in Libya’s Oil Recovery

LONDON—Despite the reopening of two key terminals, a fragile oil recovery in Libya is showing cracks as the crude struggles to make it back to markets, oil officials said Monday. A planned tanker loading was disrupted by a protest this weekend, while the company overseeing Libya’s largest field was caught in Tripoli’s gunfire and customers are reluctant to buy the country’s unreliable cargoes, oil officials say. Last week, Brent oil prices fell to a three-month low after rebels in Libya agreed to reopen two key oil terminals they had occupied for nearly a year and separately, protesters allowed the country’s largest oil field to restart . The country’s production has jumped to 470,000 barrels a day, a spokesman for state-run National Oil Co. said. That is three times its level in late May but still only a third of its normal level. But over the weekend plans to load […]

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Cracks Start Showing in Libya's Oil Recovery

LONDON—Despite the reopening of two key terminals, a fragile oil recovery in Libya is showing cracks as the crude struggles to make it back to markets, oil officials said Monday. A planned tanker loading was disrupted by a protest this weekend, while the company overseeing Libya’s largest field was caught in Tripoli’s gunfire and customers are reluctant to buy the country’s unreliable cargoes, oil officials say. Last week, Brent oil prices fell to a three-month low after rebels in Libya agreed to reopen two key oil terminals they had occupied for nearly a year and separately, protesters allowed the country’s largest oil field to restart . The country’s production has jumped to 470,000 barrels a day, a spokesman for state-run National Oil Co. said. That is three times its level in late May but still only a third of its normal level. But over the weekend plans to load […]

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East Libya Rebels Commit to Keep Open Largest Crude Export-Port

Rebels in Libya’s east committed to keeping open the country’s largest oil port, Es Sider , and dissociated themselves from a protest that shut a smaller crude export terminal. Brent traded near the lowest in three months. “This incident, in the port of Brega, has no impact on the agreement with the government to open Es Sider and Ras Lanuf,” said Ali al-Hasy, a spokesman for the self-declared Executive Office for the Barqa region. “We stand by the agreement with the government. Es Sider and Ras Lanuf will stay open.” Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, Libya’s third-largest oil port, have a combined daily loading capacity of 560,000 barrels. Brega, which was reported July 12 to have been shut by guards seeking better pay, can export 60,000 barrels a day, according to the Oil Ministry. The Executive Office for Barqa seeks self-rule for the eastern region also known as Cyrenaica. […]

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Militants Fire on Military Post in Egypt, Killing Soldier and Nearby Civilians

Militants in Egypt ’s northern Sinai fired mortar rounds late Sunday at a military post in El Arish, the provincial capital, killing a soldier and seven civilians, including two children, in a nearby residential complex, security and hospital officials said. A senior security official said the attack hit the military post, killing the soldier. The military post is near a compound of residential buildings in the Salam district. The main security headquarters and the local government offices are in the same area. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, said a supermarket, a pharmacy and a residential building were hit by the mortar fire. Samy Anwar, the head of the local hospital, said seven civilians were killed in the attack, including a 10-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. He said 24 others were […]

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Industry watchers cautious on Libyan oil rebound

Energy industry watchers said Wednesday optimism over the rebound of Libyan oil production should be tempered. Forecasts of the potential in Libya’s oil sector have waxed and waned since the end of civil war in 2011. The country has yet to pass its pre-war peak of 1.4 million barrels per day and early 2014 output had plummeted to well below 500,000 bpd. The National Oil Co. said late Tuesday production from the giant El-Sharara field had resumed. It has a capacity for 340,000 bpd, but an unidentified industry source told the Platts energy reporting agency it was too early to declare recovery. "It was down for a long time," the source said . "It will not be at full capacity for weeks, or even months." The pipeline connecting the field to export terminals has been blocked off by protests for most of the year. In April, the Libyan government […]

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Production Resumes at Libya’s Largest Oil Field

Libya’s largest oil field Sharara has resumed production, a top oil official said Wednesday, the latest sign of an improvement in the country’s troubled oil sector. The move follows the lifting of a force majeure on two Eastern terminals that account for nearly half of Libya’s oil export capacity, following a deal with militants who had occupied them. The 340,000-barrels-a-day Sharara oil field, where Spanish oil company Repsol SA is a partner, has resumed output after protests ended there, a spokesman for the state-run National Oil Co. said. He confirmed that exports could still take a week to restart because the oil flows will first have to supply the Zawiya refinery. Libya’s oil industry has been disrupted frequently by strikes and armed occupations since a civil war toppled former leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Together with the reopening of the two oil ports, Sharara’s resumption could bring oil production […]

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Production Resumes at Libya's Largest Oil Field

Libya’s largest oil field Sharara has resumed production, a top oil official said Wednesday, the latest sign of an improvement in the country’s troubled oil sector. The move follows the lifting of a force majeure on two Eastern terminals that account for nearly half of Libya’s oil export capacity, following a deal with militants who had occupied them. The 340,000-barrels-a-day Sharara oil field, where Spanish oil company Repsol SA is a partner, has resumed output after protests ended there, a spokesman for the state-run National Oil Co. said. He confirmed that exports could still take a week to restart because the oil flows will first have to supply the Zawiya refinery. Libya’s oil industry has been disrupted frequently by strikes and armed occupations since a civil war toppled former leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Together with the reopening of the two oil ports, Sharara’s resumption could bring oil production […]

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Libya Seeks to Avoid Oil-Market Mess as Supplies Rebound

Libya, the north African country whose crude exports collapsed last year amid protests and political feuding, will seek to revive shipments in a way that avoids oil-market disruption, its governor for OPEC said. Protesters in the east of the country with Africa ’s largest oil reserves reopened two ports at the start of this month, ending a yearlong blockade that helped decimate the nation’s supplies. Brent crude , the global benchmark, slid about 3.3 percent since the rebels said the terminals would restart. “Our return to the market will be gradual and in coordination with our fellow member countries,” Samir Kamal, the nation’s governor for the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, said by e-mail yesterday. Libya will take the same gradual approach toward sales of oil it has stored at the two terminals, he said. Crude surged last year when the protesters halted four Libyan ports in an attempt […]

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Production in Libya's Sharara oilfield resumes

A Libyan oil official says production at one of the country’s largest oilfield has restarted, pumping at more than 90 percent of its capacity in a boost to the troubled North African nation. Mohammed al-Harari, spokesman for the National Oil Corporation, said Wednesday that 325,000 barrels were pumped from the southwestern Sharara oilfield, one of Libya’s largest at 340,000 barrels per day. Production resumed a day earlier, following repeated halts because of protests in the area. In a boost to the country’s troubled sector, the government reached an agreement last weekend with eastern rebels to regain control of two oil ports there. The rebels had seized the ports for nearly a year, halting exports and demanding a share of the revenues and political autonomy. Production there has not resumed yet.

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Production in Libya’s Sharara oilfield resumes

A Libyan oil official says production at one of the country’s largest oilfield has restarted, pumping at more than 90 percent of its capacity in a boost to the troubled North African nation. Mohammed al-Harari, spokesman for the National Oil Corporation, said Wednesday that 325,000 barrels were pumped from the southwestern Sharara oilfield, one of Libya’s largest at 340,000 barrels per day. Production resumed a day earlier, following repeated halts because of protests in the area. In a boost to the country’s troubled sector, the government reached an agreement last weekend with eastern rebels to regain control of two oil ports there. The rebels had seized the ports for nearly a year, halting exports and demanding a share of the revenues and political autonomy. Production there has not resumed yet.

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Nigeria Comes Tops in Global Crude Theft

Nigeria has been listed as the country with the highest incidents of crude oil theft in the world, according to data released by Oilprice.com. According to the website, with as much as 400,000 barrels of crude oil stolen daily, Nigeria is ranked worse than Mexico, Iraq, Russia and Indonesia on the top five countries most plagued by oil theft. The report put Nigeria’s losses to crude theft at $1.7 billion, about N272 billion per month, representing 7.7 percent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. The report said: “This represents 7.7 percent of Nigeria’s GDP vanishing, or more than the country spends on education and healthcare. “These numbers paint a harsh picture about the inability of the Nigerian government and the multinational oil companies in Niger Delta, to do anything about this rampant theft. “With oil theft hitting record levels in 2013, the G8 has been reminded of its 2000 […]

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Libyan oil exports on potential rebound

More than half of Libya’s oil export potential may be back online after rebel forces handed over control of two key ports, the Libyan National Oil Co. said. Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, two oil ports that account for as much as half of Libya’s full export potential of 1.3 million barrels per day, were handed over to government control last week. Mohammad el-Harari, a spokesman for the state-owned National Oil Co., said a legal clause over the terminals, force majeure, was lifted Sunday. Force majuere frees a company from its contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond its control. Combined, the two ports can ship as much as 560,000 barrels of oil per day. The spokesman said it was unclear when new Libyan oil would find its way to the international market. The Libyan government brokered a deal April 6 with eastern rebel leaders to re-open two other export […]

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Production Resumes at Libya's Largest Oil Field

Libya’s largest oil field Sharara has resumed production, a top oil official said Wednesday, the latest sign of an improvement in the country’s troubled oil sector. The move follows the lifting of a force majeure on two Eastern terminals that account for nearly half of Libya’s oil export capacity, following a deal with militants who had occupied them. The 340,000-barrels-a-day Sharara oil field, where Spanish oil company Repsol SA is a partner, has resumed output after protests ended there, a spokesman for the state-run National Oil Co. said. He confirmed that exports could still take a week to restart because the oil flows will first have to supply the Zawiya refinery. Libya’s oil industry has been disrupted frequently by strikes and armed occupations since a civil war toppled former leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Together with the reopening of the two oil ports, Sharara’s resumption could bring oil production […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Production Resumes at Libya’s Largest Oil Field

Libya’s largest oil field Sharara has resumed production, a top oil official said Wednesday, the latest sign of an improvement in the country’s troubled oil sector. The move follows the lifting of a force majeure on two Eastern terminals that account for nearly half of Libya’s oil export capacity, following a deal with militants who had occupied them. The 340,000-barrels-a-day Sharara oil field, where Spanish oil company Repsol SA is a partner, has resumed output after protests ended there, a spokesman for the state-run National Oil Co. said. He confirmed that exports could still take a week to restart because the oil flows will first have to supply the Zawiya refinery. Libya’s oil industry has been disrupted frequently by strikes and armed occupations since a civil war toppled former leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Together with the reopening of the two oil ports, Sharara’s resumption could bring oil production […]

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Libya's Largest Oil Field Sharara Restarts Operations-Manager

Libya’s largest oil field Sharara has restarted operations and may resume production later Wednesday, a manager at the facility said, the latest sign of improvement in Libya’s troubled oil sector. The news come after Libya lifted force majeure on two Eastern terminals that amount to nearly half of its exports capacity following a deal with rebels that had occupied them. The pipeline connected to the 340,000-barrels-a-day Sharara oil field, where Spain’s Repsol SA is a partner, reopened after protests ended there, said the manager, who declined to be named. He added that, once production has restarted, exports could take a week to restart because the oil flows will first have to supply the Zawiya refinery. Write to Benoit Faucon at [email protected]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Libya’s Largest Oil Field Sharara Restarts Operations-Manager

Libya’s largest oil field Sharara has restarted operations and may resume production later Wednesday, a manager at the facility said, the latest sign of improvement in Libya’s troubled oil sector. The news come after Libya lifted force majeure on two Eastern terminals that amount to nearly half of its exports capacity following a deal with rebels that had occupied them. The pipeline connected to the 340,000-barrels-a-day Sharara oil field, where Spain’s Repsol SA is a partner, reopened after protests ended there, said the manager, who declined to be named. He added that, once production has restarted, exports could take a week to restart because the oil flows will first have to supply the Zawiya refinery. Write to Benoit Faucon at [email protected]

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Egypt Would Approve BG’s Israel Gas Deal If Local Demand is Met

Egypt is willing to approve a potential deal allowing BG Group PLC to import natural gas from Israel for its local facility if the parties involved agree to help meet the country’s domestic demand at a reasonable price, officials familiar with the matter said Monday. "Things are different in Egypt now and we see no issue in this deal if it is beneficial for the country," a senior oil official told The Wall Street Journal, referring to the recent change in government in Egypt that saw Abdel Fattah Al Sisi elected president. "We will give our approval on the deal if some of the gas is fed to the domestic market and is reasonably priced," the official said. The partners in Israel’s giant Leviathan natural gas field said last month they had signed a preliminary agreement with BG Group, a British oil and gas company, to […]

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Egypt Would Approve BG's Israel Gas Deal If Local Demand is Met

Egypt is willing to approve a potential deal allowing BG Group PLC to import natural gas from Israel for its local facility if the parties involved agree to help meet the country’s domestic demand at a reasonable price, officials familiar with the matter said Monday. "Things are different in Egypt now and we see no issue in this deal if it is beneficial for the country," a senior oil official told The Wall Street Journal, referring to the recent change in government in Egypt that saw Abdel Fattah Al Sisi elected president. "We will give our approval on the deal if some of the gas is fed to the domestic market and is reasonably priced," the official said. The partners in Israel’s giant Leviathan natural gas field said last month they had signed a preliminary agreement with BG Group, a British oil and gas company, to […]

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Egypt: Minister – Oil Sector Carries Out Ambitious Program to Increase Natural Gas Production

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Sheriff Ismail on Thursday 19/06/2014 said that the oil sector is carrying out an ambitious program for increasing rates of producing natural gas to meet the local needs. In statements while on an inspection tour of Desouk gas field in Kafr el-Sheikh, Ismail added that the plan will be implemented through developing the newly-discovered oil fields and enhancing exploration operations. He further noted there are positive signs about high productivity in the Delta area. The amount of subsidy for petrol, solar and mazut in Egypt during 2012/2013 fiscal year hit 128 billion pounds, said Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Sherif Ismail. Meanwhile, Ismail said that this amount of subsidy for petroleum products drains the state budget, adding that it is difficult now to revoke the subsidy system as it is related to several regulations, including the standard of living, unemployment rate, new projects […]

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Nigeria: Shell Could Face Fresh Compensation Claims After Landmark Environmental Ruling

A landmark UK court ruling paves the way for Shell to finally be held accountable for devastating oil pollution in the Niger Delta, Amnesty International said today. "Today’s ruling is a shot across the bows for Shell" said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty International’s Director of Global Issues. "The court’s message is clear – if you don’t take adequate measures to protect your pipelines from tampering, you could be liable for the damages caused." In a judgment delivered by Mr Justice Akenhead, the London Technological and Construction Court found that short of providing policing or military defence of its pipelines, Shell was responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect them. This would include measures such as installing leak detection systems, surveillance equipment and anti-tamper equipment. The ruling has opened the door for Nigerian claimants to demand compensation if oil leaks were a result of sabotage or theft – if […]

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Egypt court confirms death sentences for over 180

The Muslim Brotherhood’s spiritual leader and over 180 others were sentenced to death Saturday by an Egyptian court in the latest mass trial following last year’s overthrow of the country’s Islamist president. The ruling by the southern Minya Criminal Court is the largest confirmed mass death sentence to be handed down in Egypt in recent memory and comes from Judge Said Youssef, who earlier presided over the mass trial. It is the second death sentence for the Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie since the crackdown against his group began. The court acquitted more than 400 others in the case and family members of the accused wailed or cheered the verdicts. The case stems from an attack on a police station in the town of el-Adwa near the southern city of Minya on Aug. 14 which killed one police officer and one civilian. Similar revenge attacks […]

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Nigeria: India Replaces U.S. As Largest Importer of Nigeria's Crude

India ahas replaced the United States of America as the largest importer of Nigeria’s crude with China and Malaysia following closely, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said yesterday. Nigeria has been facing dwindling crude oil sales to the United States as shale oil and gas production there has increased, reducing demand for imports. India now purchases some 30 percent of Nigeria’s daily crude production which currently hovers around 2.5million barrels, while crude oil sales to the US by now stands at about 250,000 barrels per day, according to a statement by NNPC’s spokesman Ohi Alegbe. Speaking in Moscow, Russia at the on-going 21st World Petroleum Congress, Coordinator Corporate Planning and Strategy, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Tim Okon also told newsmen that the Asian countries have since replaced the US as the biggest consumers of Nigerian crude. Dr. Okon, who also doubles as the Director of Transformation of […]

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Nigeria: India Replaces U.S. As Largest Importer of Nigeria’s Crude

India ahas replaced the United States of America as the largest importer of Nigeria’s crude with China and Malaysia following closely, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said yesterday. Nigeria has been facing dwindling crude oil sales to the United States as shale oil and gas production there has increased, reducing demand for imports. India now purchases some 30 percent of Nigeria’s daily crude production which currently hovers around 2.5million barrels, while crude oil sales to the US by now stands at about 250,000 barrels per day, according to a statement by NNPC’s spokesman Ohi Alegbe. Speaking in Moscow, Russia at the on-going 21st World Petroleum Congress, Coordinator Corporate Planning and Strategy, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Tim Okon also told newsmen that the Asian countries have since replaced the US as the biggest consumers of Nigerian crude. Dr. Okon, who also doubles as the Director of Transformation of […]

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Statoil, ExxonMobil make another gas discovery offshore Tanzania

Statoil ASA and coventurer ExxonMobil Corp. have made what the companies are calling a “high-impact” gas discovery in the Piri prospect offshore Tanzania, marking the sixth discovery on Block 2 by the firms ( OGJ Online, Dec. 6, 2013 ). Piri-1, drilled by the Discoverer Americas drillship, is 2 km southwest of the Lavani-1 well in 2,360 m of water. Discoverer Americas is now drilling the Binzari prospect on Block 2. The discovery was made in the same Lower Cretaceous sandstones as the gas discovery in the Zafarani-1 well drilled in 2012 ( OGJ Online, Dec. 22, 2012 ). Statoil says discovery of an additional 2-3 tcf of gas in place in the Piri-1 well brings to 20 tcf the total of in-place volumes on the block. Additional prospectivity has been mapped and will be tested throughout this year and next, Statoil said, adding that the company expects […]

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Nigeria’s Bid to Cut Oil Smuggling

A suspected oil thief rides a wooden boat full of stolen crude oil on the creeks of Bayelsa, Nigeria in May 2013. Nigeria is moving its efforts to cut oil smuggling to target foreign players increasingly implicated in the trade. Associated Press LONDON—Nigeria last month handed down a long prison term, in absentia, to the Indian owner of a vessel suspected of carrying stolen crude—moving its efforts to cut oil smuggling to target foreign players increasingly implicated in the trade. Africa’s largest economy has long battled theft from its oil pipelines in the southern Niger Delta. That’s sapped revenue and scared off foreign investment. Nigerian courts have tried and convicted individual thieves accused of tapping into oil pipelines, or crews arrested on board vessels carrying stolen oil. But authorities have generally not taken action against the international shippers alleged to increasingly carry the oil out to international waters. But […]

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Nigeria's Bid to Cut Oil Smuggling

A suspected oil thief rides a wooden boat full of stolen crude oil on the creeks of Bayelsa, Nigeria in May 2013. Nigeria is moving its efforts to cut oil smuggling to target foreign players increasingly implicated in the trade. Associated Press LONDON—Nigeria last month handed down a long prison term, in absentia, to the Indian owner of a vessel suspected of carrying stolen crude—moving its efforts to cut oil smuggling to target foreign players increasingly implicated in the trade. Africa’s largest economy has long battled theft from its oil pipelines in the southern Niger Delta. That’s sapped revenue and scared off foreign investment. Nigerian courts have tried and convicted individual thieves accused of tapping into oil pipelines, or crews arrested on board vessels carrying stolen oil. But authorities have generally not taken action against the international shippers alleged to increasingly carry the oil out to international waters. But […]

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Ukraine Suspects Terrorism in Pipeline Explosion

A major natural gas pipeline exploded in central Ukraine on Tuesday, a day after the Russian energy behemoth Gazprom said that it was cutting off supplies to Ukraine in a dispute over pricing, and officials immediately labeled it a possible act of sabotage. Utility officials said that natural gas deliveries were not interrupted and that supplies to Ukrainian customers and other European countries were flowing through alternative pipes. The blast occurred in a sparsely populated area of the Poltava region, which lies between Kiev, the capital, and the embattled regions of eastern Ukraine where a civil war is effectively underway between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian military. Video from the scene showed a huge plume of fire shooting hundreds of feet into the sky. The explosion destroyed a section of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline, which runs more than 1,800 miles from Russia’s Arctic north through Ukraine to the […]

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Libya oil output gets lift

Two Libyan oil fields resumed deliveries to a key refinery in the country following a court order on political stability, two state energy companies said. State-owned National Oil. Co. said production resumed at the southern El-Feel field. Authorities at Sirte Oil confirmed oil was flowing from the Zilten oil field in the east of the country, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Libyan oil production has slumped considerably from its pre-war peak of about 1.4 million barrels per day. Oil output has suffered amid internal political rivalries in a country working to rebound from years of dictatorship under Moammar Gadhafi . Resumption of production from the two fields follows a court order that shot down the election of Ahmed Miitig as the next prime minister. Acting Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani refused to recognize the Islamist leader’s appointment. El-Feel and Zilten combine for around 60,000 barrels of oil per day […]

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Libya's Benghazi rocked by fierce fighting

At least four people have been killed in clashes in Benghazi between forces loyal to the former general Khalifa Haftar and fighters he has declared as "terrorists". At least 14 people were also wounded in Sunday’s fighting, Reuters news agency reported, as fighting prompted dozens of families to flee the port in the latest bout of violence to hit the country. "There are now heavy clashes in Sidi Faraj and al-Hawari [in western Benghazi]. Our forces are attacking with tanks and rocket launchers," Haftar’s spokesman Mohamed el-Hejazi said. The sound of heavy weapons fire could be heard on the streets of  Sidi Faraj, and families were fleeing affected areas, witnesses said.  Electricity was cut to a large part of the city, with state news agency LANA saying a rocket fire had hit a power station, and that technicians were trying to restore power. Haftar has declared war against groups including Ansar al-Sharia […]

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Libya’s Benghazi rocked by fierce fighting

At least four people have been killed in clashes in Benghazi between forces loyal to the former general Khalifa Haftar and fighters he has declared as "terrorists". At least 14 people were also wounded in Sunday’s fighting, Reuters news agency reported, as fighting prompted dozens of families to flee the port in the latest bout of violence to hit the country. "There are now heavy clashes in Sidi Faraj and al-Hawari [in western Benghazi]. Our forces are attacking with tanks and rocket launchers," Haftar’s spokesman Mohamed el-Hejazi said. The sound of heavy weapons fire could be heard on the streets of  Sidi Faraj, and families were fleeing affected areas, witnesses said.  Electricity was cut to a large part of the city, with state news agency LANA saying a rocket fire had hit a power station, and that technicians were trying to restore power. Haftar has declared war against groups including Ansar al-Sharia […]

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Chevron sells oil assets in Chad for $1.3 billion

RAMON, Calif. (AP) — Chevron sold to Chad its interest in oil producing assets in the Central African nation for about $1.3 billion. The oil and gas company had a 25 percent interest in the properties, which included seven oil fields in Chad’s Doba Basin and a pipeline system that transported crude oil to Cameroon’s coast and to other facilities. Chevron Corp. says it’s selling some profitable assets to focus on its global exploration and production business. The deal closed Friday. Shares of the San Ramon company are up 64 cents to $126.75 in afternoon trading.

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Libya maintains optimism over oil sector

It’s possible Libyan oil production could more than double to 700,000 barrels per day within the next two months, a Libyan delegate to OPEC said Wednesday. Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Counties met Wednesday in Vienna for a regular conference. Libyan envoy to OPEC Samir Salem Kamal said if major oil fields closed by labor strikes and protests are brought back online, production could increase from the current rate of around 200,000 bpd. "Libya could get to 700,000 bpd in two months," he said . The envoy said negotiations were ongoing in an effort to bring closed fields back into production. The Libyan National Oil Corp. lifted a state of emergency at operations at the eastern Zueitina oil terminal earlier this year. It was in the control of forces vying for more autonomy in the region. Internal conflicts in Libya have spilled over into […]

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Air strikes hit Benghazi

Air strikes have hit three areas of the Libyan city of Benghazi, shortly after reports emerged of a ceasefire deal between former general Khalifa Haftar and a government crisis committee. The strikes on Tuesday took place in the western part of the city, which has been targeted in the past by troops loyal to Haftar.  Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Tripoli, said that the airstrikes lasted for at least thirty minutes. A source close to the armed group Ansar al-Sharia told Al Jazeera that the group had given Haftar supporters 72 hours, ending Tuesday, to leave the Benina area of Benghazi, close to the airport. Earlier, sources in the Government Crisis Managing Committee, which includes tribal elders, the minister of justice and various brigades in Benghazi, told Al Jazeera that a truce deal had been reached with Haftar, a claim denied by Mohamed Hejazi, Haftar’s spokesperson. However, Reuters quoted Hejazi saying […]

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Offshore Tunisia eyed for new oil campaign

Circle Oil, an Irish exploration company with a focus on the Middle East, said it started an offshore drilling campaign in Tunisia, its first. The company said it started drilling operations in the offshore reserves of the El Mediouni-1 exploration well. The company said the well is located in areas already producing oil and natural gas. Its primary target is dubbed the Birsa Sands. Circle Oil said Monday it estimates there may be as much as 46 million barrels of oil in the prospect, which it says is "substantially larger" than the recoverable commercial threshold of 10 million barrels of oil. Drilling operations in the company’s first-ever offshore well should take as long as seven weeks, it said. Tunisian oil production has declined steadily since reaching a peak of 120,000 barrels of oil per day. A 2014 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates Tunisia has "significant" formations […]

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Icon of Egypt’s 2011 revolt sentenced to 15 years

A court on Wednesday convicted a prominent activist from Egypt’s 2011 uprising for demonstrating without permit and assaulting a policeman, sentencing him to 15 years in prison. The sentence against Alaa Abdel-Fattah is by far the toughest against any of the liberal, pro-democracy activists behind the 18-day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s 29-year regime. It is also the first conviction of a prominent activist since former army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi took office as president on Sunday. In the 11 months since el-Sissi ousted the country’s first freely elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi, authorities have launched a massive crackdown on Islamists, detaining at least 16,000 and killing hundreds. That crackdown has overshadowed another, albeit smaller, campaign against secular activists opposed to what they see as the return of Mubarak-era policies. Security officials said that while Abdel-Fattah was convicted and sentenced in absentia, he did turn […]

Posted On : Published By : Tom Whipple
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Icon of Egypt's 2011 revolt sentenced to 15 years

A court on Wednesday convicted a prominent activist from Egypt’s 2011 uprising for demonstrating without permit and assaulting a policeman, sentencing him to 15 years in prison. The sentence against Alaa Abdel-Fattah is by far the toughest against any of the liberal, pro-democracy activists behind the 18-day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak’s 29-year regime. It is also the first conviction of a prominent activist since former army chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi took office as president on Sunday. In the 11 months since el-Sissi ousted the country’s first freely elected president, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi, authorities have launched a massive crackdown on Islamists, detaining at least 16,000 and killing hundreds. That crackdown has overshadowed another, albeit smaller, campaign against secular activists opposed to what they see as the return of Mubarak-era policies. Security officials said that while Abdel-Fattah was convicted and sentenced in absentia, he did turn […]

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East African Energy-Boom Investments Take Focus in Budgets

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania plan to allocate money in their annual budgets to spur investment in infrastructure to exploit oil and natural gas from deposits that companies including Tullow Oil Plc (TLW) are developing. Ugandan and Kenyan oil discoveries, made in 2006 and 2012 respectively, and new gas finds off the coast of Tanzania that have boosted reserves to as much as 46 trillion cubic feet have seen East Africa become a frontier for petroleum exploration. The three countries, along with Rwanda, which are all members of the East African Community , will tomorrow present their budget statements for the financial year starting July 1. “If there is one thing most EAC partner states agree upon it’s infrastructural development,” Ahmed Salim, a senior associate based in Dubai for research consultancy Teneo Intelligence, said in an e-mailed response to questions. State spending will go toward “development of their respective extractive […]

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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. […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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South Sudan: Is South Sudan Falling Into Oil Resource Curse?

The notion of resource curse has engulfed African countries, which are rich in natural resources and heavily depend on revenues from these resources. The resource curse is characterized by poverty-stricken, corruption and violent. Relatively small group ( Elite ) captures vast wealth while leaving the entire society without basics need such as clean drinking water, electricity, shelter and consumption goods that define the absolute minimum resources necessary for long-term physical well-being. Political instability triggered the oil resource curse; the evident suggests that countries with bad institutions are likely to experience the natural resource curse. One of solution to get out from oil curse is to improve institutions, good governance, accountability and transparency. South Sudan can voluntarily signed up to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) promoted by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002 that became an independent NGO in 2007. The main point of this is […]

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Nigeria eyes European gas market

The top executive at a state-owned energy company in Nigeria said the European market is a good one for its abundant natural gas reserves. Members of the European Union are looking for new sources of natural gas in an effort to add diversity to an energy market dominated by Russia. Andrew Yakubu, chief executive of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., said Europe could be a good customer for the estimated 187 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that’s been largely untouched in Nigeria. "Europe is a good market for gas," he was quoted by the Platts energy news website as saying Sunday. "We are working on independently marketing our abundant gas resources to Europe." In May, state-led Nigeria LNG Ltd., said it was sending 180 Nigerians to South Korea to learn how to build vessels used in the liquefied natural gas sector. LNG offers more transport […]

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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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