Libya Losing Around $10 M Daily, NOC

Libya’s state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) accused the Tobruk-based government led by Prime Minister Thinni of stopping the state from earning the much needed revenue from oil sales by blocking loading at the Marsa al Hariga port.

Tripoli-based NOC warned in a statement that stopping the exportation of oil will heavily impact the value of the Libyan dinar against foreign currencies and will add to the acute shortages of foods and medicines while power outages will last for longer hours.

NOC claimed that the actions of the Tobruk-based government is costing the state around $10 million of oil exportation per day and its spokesman Mohamed Al-Harari alleged that Thinni is playing a role in the blockade as he claimed that a tanker that was to be loaded last week was stopped on the express orders of the Prime Minister.

Libya is heavily dependent on oil sales and the Hariga terminal presently accounts for 75% of international sales in the war torn country where oilfields and terminal are controlled by different armed groups with multiple governments claiming legitimacy.

The Tobruk-based government could be using the blockade as a weapon to deprive the state of its oil revenue after efforts to sell oil on its self-styled NOC based in Tobruk failed.

Meanwhile, after reports of small number of French and British troops being on the ground in Libya, US officials under the condition of anonymity revealed that two teams of less than 25 troops are operating around Misrata and Benghazi since 2015 and their mission includes identifying potential allies among local armed factions and gathering intelligence on threats.