Oil-bearing east separates itself from Libya

The employees of Petroleum Facilities Guard agency, which consists of former rebels, have been continuing strike in Libya since July 25, 2013. They have blocked the ports and Kirenaiki field (east of Libya), where majority of oil is extracted and which makes a lion share of the country’s incomes.

The oil production has dropped tenfold and hydrocarbon-rich Libya must import energy resources to maintain the power stations and people will have to stand in long lines at the terminals. Since the beginning of the strike Tripoli lost billions of dollars from failed oil sales ($130 million a day). Now the country exports about 160,000 barrels a day against 1.3 million barrels in June 2013. In October 2013 Libya will be unable to do without financial resources. 

  The blockade of the fields expands its geography and this promises nothing good to the Libyan authorities. However, this situation is fraught with economic catastrophe and this is only one side of the matter. Another side is that the country is again on the threshold of civil war. Kirenaiki Ibragim al-Jatran, head of the Political Bureau, said he is willing to sell the oil at the black market. This made Premier Ali Zaydan nervous and he threatened “to bomb any tanker, which will attempt to load the rebels’ oil, from the air or the sea.”

  There are preconditions for such a war, eastern Libyans demand autonomy of Kirenaiki. Residents of the southwestern region Fezzan try to achieve the same thing by cutting oil and gas pipes leading to the north and to the third historical district Tripolitania. Residents of Kirenaiki and Fezzana create the alliance to leave more oil incomes in their regions.

  The world community is concerned about the opposition of Tripolitania to hydrocarbon-rich Kirenaiki, because of difficulties with the oil deliveries. The oil companies lose enthusiasm, which was inspired by Gaddafi’s falls. US ExxonMobil company said it is going to reduce its staff and suspend the operations, Royal Dutch Shell stopped drilling and left the field last year and US Marathon considers the possibility of selling its share in the key Libyan consortium. It is very important to preserve presence of BP company in the country, writes Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta.—0—