Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) has been forced to declare force majeure once again on its oil exports after eastern terminals were shut down over the weekend.
The company had said a cargo was to be loaded on to an aframax tanker at Es Sider on Friday, as ports re-opened after a six-month blockade by the rebel Libyan National Army (LNA).
But forces loyal to LNA leader Khalifa Haftar demanded a halt to further exports on Saturday.
NOC said this marked a reversal of the LNA's cooperative stance in negotiations, following its defeat in the capital Tripoli by Government of National Accord (GNA) forces last month, as the country's civil war grinds on.
The oil company accused the United Arab Emirates of supporting the LNA, and said Russian and Syrian mercenaries had occupied Es Sider, while Russian and Sudanese mercenaries were camped "within the vicinity of the Sharara oil field, preventing Libyan oil from flowing".
Allies praised
"We appreciate greatly the efforts of the United Nations, and the US to restart Libyan oil production and avert an escalation in the conflict," said NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla.
"If these efforts fail, as it appears they will, there must be consequences for the actions of the handful of states that are undermining the rule-based international order and destroying Libya. They pose a grave threat to Libyan and global security."
NOC has also expressed fears for the quality of its oil as facilities degrade due to disuse.
Greek owner Avin International's 106,074-dwt Kriti Bastion (built 2003) was the first tanker to lift stored crude from Es Sider on Friday, and was at anchorage off Malta on Monday.
Last Wednesday, the 157,000-dwt suezmax Delta Ocean (built 2010) was prevented from berthing there by the Petroleum Facilities Guard, a militia that has been switching sides during the ongoing civil war in Libya.
The ports of Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega and Hariga have also been blockaded.
"The closure of ports and oil fields will be maintained until the demands of the Libyan people are satisfied," said Haftar spokesman Ahmad al-Mismari on Facebook.
"Only one oil tanker" was authorised to load "a quantity of stored oil," he added, as agreed "with the international community and brotherly and friendly countries".
NOC's crude output amounted to 1.22m bpd in early 2020 and the company was targeting a rise in production to 2.1m bpd by 2024.
But Sanalla has admitted NOC could struggle to produce 650,000 bpd in 2022 following the recent conflicts.
