Protest halts Libya port’s oil exports for 6th day

A general view of pipelines at the Zueitina oil terminal in Zueitina, about 120km (75 miles) west of Benghazi last Thursday. Protesters demanding jobs closed off the eastern Libyan port of Zueitina for a sixth day yesterday, extending a halt in oil exports, according to a senior oil industry source and to one of the demonstrators. Roughly a dozen men last Tuesday evening forced their way into the port, just hours after Zueitina Oil Company workers had temporarily suspended a strike and resumed production at oilfields that pump to the terminal. “The situation is still the same,” a senior Libyan oil industry source said. “Exports are still down as of yesterday (Sunday) evening. I do not think there has been any change this morning.” Belgasem al-Sghou, who described himself as the leader of the protesters, said two ships were waiting to come into the port to load crude. “We are not allowing them to be loaded from this port,” he said by phone, adding that maintenance work continued as normal, however.