By Tom Westcott.
Tripoli, 8 March 2014:
A North Korean-flagged oil-tanker intending to illegally export Libyan crude docked at Es-sider oil export terminal . . .[restrict]early this morning.
The terminal has been blockaded since August last year by federalists operating under Ibrahim Jadhran.
The vessel docked at 6am, spokesperson for the National Oil Company (NOC), Mohamed Al-Harrari, told the Libya Herald. The Saudi-registered vessel, called Morning Glory, was sailing under the flag of North Korea, he added.
Harrari said that, although the vessel had berthed, it had not yet been loaded with crude.
This is the second attempt to illegally export oil from Essider, after a Maltese-flagged tanker tried to enter Libyan waters in January this year. The Libyan Navy fired warning shots into the air and the vessel headed back out to sea.
The Navy said in January that it would use force against any further vessels attempting to illegally load oil from the terminal which, along with Ras Lanuf and Zuitina, remains under force majeure.
Libyan Navy spokesman Ayoub Qassem today declined to give any comment on the Morning Glory or the current situation at Es-sider. [/restrict]
