According to the Libya Herald, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) is refusing to confirm or deny reports that the Ras Lanuf oil refinery will resume operations by 28th August.
“I cannot confirm or deny anything because I have no information about this”, a NOC spokesman told the Libya Herald.
Repeated announcements have been made regarding the reopening of the refinery, but this latest announcement appears to have been given added credibility by concrete preparations now said to be taking place at the plant.
It had been reported that oil products already held in tanks at the refinery have been sold to make room for fresh output.
Ras Lanuf is the largest of Libya’s five oil refineries and the only one that has yet to resume operations since the end of last year’s revolution.
It has a processing capacity of 220,000 oil barrels per day (bpd), representing around 58 per cent of the country’s 380,000-bpd total, making it a significant contributor both to the Libyan economy and regional markets.
It is owned by the Libyan Emirati Refining Company (Lerco), a joint venture between the NOC and Trasta Energy, headed by powerful United Arab Emirates businessman, Essa Al Ghurair.
(Source: Libya Herald)
