Libya's deputy oil minister, Omar Shakmak, who headed the oil ministry as a caretaker since the departure of former oil minister Abdulbari Alarusi [Al Arusi] in January, has told the Wall Street Journal that he is resigning from the top job at the request of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni [Al-Thani, al-Thanay].
Mr. Shakmak didn't give any explanation for his departure other than saying there were "no negative reasons."
Meanwhile Mohammed El Hariri, a spokesman for the National Oil Corporation (NOC), has told Reuters that NOC Chairman, Mustafa Sanallah, would take over as deputy oil minister while remaining at the helm of the state oil firm, and effectively becoming acting oil minister.
Mr. Shakmak, a veteran oil executive, has been deputy oil minister since the revolution in 2011.
(Source: Dow Jones Business News, Reuters)
