By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 1 May 2014:
The first tanker to export oil from Zueitina oil terminal since it reopened after . . .[restrict]its eight-month enforced closure by Ibrahim Jadhran is expected to arrive tomorrow.
Marine traffic tracking websites currently show the Turkish-flagged oil tanker Ottoman Tenacity just off the coast of Benghazi and heading towards Zueitina. It is expected, given its current speed, to arrive at the oil port at 2 am tomorrow, local time.
It has reportedly been chartered by Austrian oil company OMV. Another tanker is expected to arrive towards the end of next week.
The order of force majeure, imposed by the National Oil Corporation, was lifted at Zueitina oil terminal three days ago. The announcement had the effect of pushing down the price of Brent Crude oil on the international markets by $1.46 a barrel.
Meanwhile, the same marine tracking websites show the Norwegian-flagged oil tanker SKS Tiete docked at Marsa Al-Brega and the Panama-flagged chemical tanker Antarctic Gas and heading there.
Senior official at the port Ahmed Al-Sharkasi told the Libya Herald that since the declaration of force majeure was lifted there last August, the port had been functioning normally and that four to five tanker had been loading there a month, taking both oil and chemicals. [/restrict]