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By Sami Zaptia.
London, 19 June 2018:
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) confirmed over the weekend that crude oil storage tank No. 12 belonging to the Harouge Oil Company in Ras Lanuf has been ‘‘significantly damaged’’ as a result of the fighting between the Khalifa Hafter-led Libyan National Army (LNA) and its local allies in the Ras Lanuf and Es Sider port terminal area.
In its statement released Saturday, the NOC called for the ‘‘unconditional and immediate withdrawal of the militia operating under Ibrahim Jadhran’’ in order to ‘‘prevent an environmental disaster and further destruction of key infrastructure’’.
The NOC added that ‘‘further damage to these sites could have a huge impact on the Libyan oil sector and the national economy’’.
The NOC also called on all parties not to use the oil sector, the NOC and associated petroleum facilities in a political game and to remove them from all possible conflict. Any act that endangers life and sheds Libyan blood should be condemned by all, it added. These facilities belong to the Libyan people and are crucial to the future prosperity of the country, concluded its statement.
The NOC statement comes on the back of the NOC evacuating all its staff last Thursday from both Sidra and Ras Lanuf oil installations in Libya’s north-eastern oil crescent.
The withdrawal came after former Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) Central Region Commander Ibrahim Jadran launched a militia attack on the oil crescent Thursday morning. Jadran and his allied forces took control of both Sidra and Ras Lanuf from the Khalifa Hafter-aligned Libyan National Army (LNA).
The fighting led to the NOC announcing a state of force majeure on Thursday on crude oil loadings from Ras Lanuf and Sidra port terminals.
NOC evacuates Sidra and Ras Lanuf after fighting erupts in area
NOC declares force majeure at Ras Lanuf and Sidre port terminals
