Shots Fired During Tanker Loading

Protesters at Port of Marsa al Hariga, Libya, fired shots in a failed attempt to halt operations and stop the loading of one million barrels of crude to a berthed tanker, Dryad Global’s latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory (MSTA) has revealed.

“Protesters were prevented from entering the port. The tanker was not hit in the crossfire and no injuries were reported,” the MSTA, which was published on May 23, noted.

“Zueitina and Brega oil port both remain under force majeure despite claims that blockades would be lifted. Within wider Libya, Prime Minister Bashagha forcibly entered Tripoli on the 18th May 22, with his militia in a failed attempt to take control of the capital,” the MSTA added.

“Bashagha’s forces miscalculated the scale of military opposition and were forced to retreat hours after following clashes with militias loyal to Prime Minister Dbeibah,” MSTA continued.

On May 8, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) revealed that the chairman of the board of directors of NOC had received the adviser of the secretary-general of the United Nations on Libya, Stephanie Williams, and her accompanying delegation at the NOC headquarters.

During a meeting between the parties, the situations of the oil sector and the “difficulties and challenges it faced during the past period” were discussed, NOC highlighted.

“In this regard, the advisor Williams emphasized the full support of the UN mission for the oil sector and its stability, so that the NOC can achieve its plans and objectives to increase production rates, in the interests of the Libyan people, she also stressed the technical and non-political role of the NOC, aimed at supporting the Libyan economy despite all the challenges it faced,” NOC said in a statement posted on its website.

According to BP’s latest statistical review of world energy, Libya’s oil production dropped from 1.3 million barrels per day in 2019 to 390,000 barrels of oil per day in 2020. The country’s natural gas production also dipped from 14.5 billion cubic meters in 2019 to 13.3 billion cubic meters in 2020, the review highlighted.

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