U.S. Says Libya Commander Haftar Will Allow Oil Sector to Reopen

A commander seeking to oust Libya‘s United Nations-backed government will let the country’s oil industry re-open after an eight-month blockade thats all but halted exports, according to U.S. diplomats.

Khalifa Haftar gave his “personal commitment” to “allow the full reopening of the energy sector” by Sept. 12, the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, the capital, said in a statement the same day. He made the pledge via an exchange of letters between his self-styled Libyan National Army and the embassy.

了解更多：利比亚石油工业扔进更多混沌作为Haftar挖在

利比亚，其保持非洲最大粗储量，泵送每天120万桶去年。输出已经暴跌到Haftar，经过一天谁控制最利比亚东部的8万桶，并试图推翻总理法耶兹AL-Sarraj的基于的黎波里的管理在西方，停在领域和他狭路相逢业务端口中旬一月。

任何增加产量可能失去勇气石油输出国组织的组织和它的盟友。该集团称OPEC +和沙特阿拉伯和俄罗斯为首，拥有周四的虚拟会议，以决定是否继续纾缓冠状病毒大流行的高度在4月达成的减产。

石油价格自反弹至每桶大约40 $，但仍下跌40％，今年由于担心一些国家感染的加速问题。利比亚已经免除，因为它的斗争的卡特尔削减。

{14} Haftar的部队曾多次表示，关闭将结束只有当有分配石油收入的协议更均匀之间西部和东部利比亚。

{6}

By Sunday morning, however, Haftar and the LNA still hadnt made any public statement about ending their blockade or allowing oil shipments to resume.

{6}

{8}

Read more: Libyan Oil Industry Thrown Into More Chaos as Haftar Digs In

{8}

{10}

Libya, which holds Africas largest crude reserves, pumped 1.2 million barrels a day last year. Output has plummeted to 80,000 barrels a day after Haftar, who controls most of eastern Libya and is trying to unseat the Tripoli-based administration of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in the west, halted operations at fields and ports in his territories in mid-January.

{10}

{12}

Any increase in production could unnerve the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies. The group, known as OPEC+ and led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, holds a virtual meeting on Thursday to decide whether to continue easing output cuts agreed in April at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

{12}{13}

Oil prices have since rallied to around $40 a barrel, but are still down 40% this year amid concern about an acceleration of infections in some countries. Libya has been exempt from the cartels cuts because of its strife.

{13}{14}

Haftar‘s forces have repeatedly said that the closures will end only when there’s an agreement to distribute oil revenues more evenly between western and eastern Libya.

{14}

The blockade has cost the North African nation billions of dollars in lost revenues.

{17}

The U.S. “is encouraged by an apparent sovereign Libyan agreement to enable the National Oil Corp. to resume its vital and apolitical work,” the embassys statement said.

{17}{18}

The NOC, also based in Tripoli, wasnt immediately available for comment outside business hours on Saturday.

{18}

Libya has been wracked by lawlessness and war since a 2011 revolt that overthrew former dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi. The conflict has drawn in other nations including Turkey, which supports Sarraj. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt back Haftar.

Oil and gas facilities have been at the heart of the conflict, with different groups closing or sabotaging them to press their political and economic demands.

Read more: Libyans Gasp From Summer Heat as Civil War Shreds Power Grid

{777}

The shutdown of energy infrastructure has also led to widespread blackouts because electricity stations have been deprived of fuel. The power crisis has led to protests in Tripoli and in Benghazi, the biggest city in the east.

{777}

— With assistance by Shaji Mathew

(Updates from first paragraph with details of statement.)