Argus Media Limited

09/16/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2021 05:35

Libya's NOC says protests end at Es Sider and Ras Lanuf

Protests at the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf oil terminals in eastern Libya have ended, allowing crude export operations to return to normal, state-owned oil firm NOC said today. The company announced an end to demonstrations at the nearby Marsa el-Hariga terminal yesterday.

Loading operations at the three ports have been intermittently disrupted by demonstrators since 8 September, with Marsa el-Hariga seeing the longest consistent closure.

NOC said its chairman Mustafa Sanalla and local officials negotiated with the demonstrators at Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, and urged them to take advantage of the company's graduate training programmes, in line with discussions held with protesters at Marsa el-Hariga. Libyan sources had said previously that the protesters at Es Sider were calling for Sanalla's dismissal.

Vessel movements will confirm if port operations are back to normal. A similar NOC announcement declaring the end of protests at the weekend was followed by a further halt to operations at Es Sider on 13 September.

The Thomas Zafiras was the next tanker scheduled to load crude at Es Sider. It retreated into the port's anchorage area yesterday, according to a shipping source. At Marsa el-Hariga, the Mikela P is set to berth, a trading source said.

The Es Sider port ships out Libya's flagship Es Sider crude, while Ras Lanuf primarily exports the Amna grade along with smaller volumes of Sirtica. The Marsa el-Hariga terminal loads the Sarir and Mesla crude grades.

By Ruxandra Iordache