Libyans reject Tunisia’s President claims to offshore oil field

Tunisian President Kais Saied continues to stir controversies. After uttering racist comments against Sub-Saharan Africans, the President claimed that Tunisia should have a 50% stake in Libya’s offshore Bouri oil fields, a claim that was strongly rejected by Libyan politicians.

Libya’s Oil and Gas Minister Mohammed Oun reminded Saied that Libya has exclusive rights to exploit the Bouri oil field, recalling the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 1982 in favor of his country.

Tunisia had agreed to the verdict and to the maritime border demarcation, he said.

Echoing him, head of the Energy Committee of the eastern-based parliament, Issa al-Oraibi, rejected Saied’s comments urging his committee to review the Tunisian president’s remarks in order to officially respond.

The Bouri oil field is located 120 kilometres (74.5 miles) north of the Libyan coast and produces about 23,000 barrels of oil a day.

It was first discovered in 1976 at a depth of 2,700 m and is estimated to contain 4.5 billion barrels (720,000,000 m3) in proven recoverable crude oil reserves and 39 km3 of associated natural gas.