By Libya Herald Staff.
Tripoli, 11 November 2013:
In a further attempt to restart sales from blockaded eastern export terminals, the National Oil . . .[restrict]Company is reported to be sending a second tanker to Tobruk, with instructions to load 600,000 tons of crude from the the Hariga terminal. It is expected to arrive at the port tomorrow (Tuesday).
Bloomberg said today that it appears that the 113,000 tonnes BP tanker, the British Falcon has left a mooring off Zawia and is believed to be heading for Tobruk. NOC spokesman Mohamed Harari declined to identify the vessel. However, he told the news agency that it would be loading at least 600,000 barrels of crude for a European destination.
On 28 October, prime minister Ali Zeidan went to Tobruk and announced he had obtained agreement with local elders that the two-month shutdown of the terminal would end by Monday 4 November at the latest. However four days later a tanker, reportedly seeking to load more than half a million barrels for Italy was refused permission to dock, by armed men associated with the eastern Petroleum Facilities Guard, have have seized all of the eastern oil export terminals and stopped their operation.
It is unclear this evening what makes NOC believe that tomorrow’s attempt to hook up to one of Hariga’s two loading jetties by another tanker will be any more successful. There is no indication that the vessel, whatever its identity, is being escorted by Libyan naval units.
[/restrict]