By Libya Herald reporter.
Malta, 12 March 2015:
The NOC revealed today that it is aware of attempts by some unknown traders attempting . . .[restrict]to illegally sell Libyan crude oil on the international market.
‘‘The NOC has been made aware by trusted sources in the oil market of information that some middlemen and brokers of unknown destination offering quantities of Libyan crude oil for sale in an illegal manner on the oil markets’’, the NOC said in a statement.
The statement warned that the NOC will take legal steps to counter any attempts from any quarter or from any individuals, internally or externally, in attempting to go outside the legal channels in commercial transactions used for decades by the NOC.
It will be recalled that the NOC had put out a denial that there were any ‘’proven cases of smuggling of Libyan oil’’ on 6 March. It has stated that the claims were ‘’false and not true’’.
However, it clearly differentiated between the smuggling of crude oil, which lies within its responsibilities and the smuggling of refined fuels, which are smuggled after the NOC has transferred them over to various domestic distributors in Libya.
It will also be recalled that the NOC was forced to declare a state of force majeure in 11 oilfields on 5 March after a series of attacks by unknown armed groups. [/restrict]
