TRIPOLI: Libya’s western Zawiya oil port has resumed operations after protesters vacated the entrance to the facilities and the adjoining refinery will restart in about 24 hours, a spokesman for the state oil company said on Sunday.
The National Oil Corp spokesman added that there were continuing issues with protesters in the area but they hoped to resolve these in the next few hours.
Libya’s bid to resume normal oil exports after blockades at eastern ports that have lasted months stumbled on Friday when the oil terminal and refinery at Zawiya were closed by fresh protests.
A blockade by local citizens late on Thursday prevented oil workers from discharging several oil product deliveries and forced the 120,000-barrel-per-day refinery to shut down, according to a government statement and a state oil company spokesman. Two laden tankers, the Valdaosta and MT Torm Charente, were anchored outside the port on Friday, Reuters AIS Live shipping showed. The protesters were demonstrating against the General National Council, the country’s deeply divided parliament.
The local council is negotiating with them. Two days ago, the same group of protesters set fire to the council headquarters for the town of Zawiya, one of theactivists said.
The port closure compounds Libya’s troubles in resolving protests that have choked oil exports and adds to stoppages at the connecting oilfield El Sharara and its pipeline which have been blocked by other groups since March.
