A number of protesters affiliated with the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) shut down Al-Hariga oil port in Tobruk city in protest of delay of salary payment.
The spokesman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mohammed Al-Harari, said the number of the protesters does not exceed 30 people, who came to Tobruk on Wednesday and shut down the oil port and thus it has stopped the exportation of oil process.
“We are doing some effort to solve this problem, some elders from Tobruk and some officials from Al-Khaleej Al-Arabi Oil Company are trying to reopen the oil port so that they avoid the country a possible economic melt-down.” Al-Harari indicated.
Al-Harari added that shutting down Al-Hariga oil port will lead to tragic problems in the Libyan economy, saying there are two ships which were denied access to oil output, and he pointed out that he hopes that all parties solve this entangled issue as soon as possible as any more delay could cost huge fines on the Libyan firms.
“Libya’s oil exportation is almost at 220.000 bpd and shutting down Al-Hariga oil port could diminish the output into its half, not to mention that it will affect Tobruk refinery station as crude oil will stop to be pumped into it.” Al-Harari concluded.
