By RFIPosted on 18-01-2020Modified on 18-01-2020 at 14:43

On the eve of the Berlin conference on Libya, tension is mounting around the sensitive issue of oil. The National Oil Corporation (NOC), the Libyan national oil company, condemns the calls to block the oil ports. It is supposed to redistribute petroleum money in the West as in the East of the country.

A group close to Marshal Haftar called, Friday, January 17, to block oil exports from the country to protest against the Turkish intervention, while demonstrators, also favorable to the marshal, invaded in the east of the country, the Zoueïtina oil terminal and proclaimed its closure. The Libyan national company, the NOC, condemns the calls to block the oil ports.

Preservation of the oil rent

Until last April, one of the only points of agreement that existed between West and East of Libya was that we preserve the oil rent.

Before the fall of Gaddafi, Libya produced about two million barrels a day, production which then collapsed before restarting in recent years . Today, the country releases 1.3 million barrels each day from its basement.

The national company, the NOC, is supposed to distribute the profits between the two major regions, Tripoli and Benghazi, via the Libyan Central Bank whose headquarters are in Tripoli. However, since the offensive launched last April by Marshal Haftar, Benghazi has reported harassment from the Government of National Unity (GNA), the government of Fayez el-Sarraj, which would push the Libyan Central Bank to curb the payment of officials and soldiers of Khalifa Haftar.

An oil war?

Analysts at the International Crisis Group pointed out last year that there was a risk of an oil war going on as most of the fields and evacuation ports are under the control of Marshal Haftar's men. Friday, January 17, in a statement, the boss of the NOC reacted to threats of blocking oil exports, urging the parties to the conflict not to take the country's only resource hostage.

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