Protests in Libya Disrupt Oil Loadings at Two Major Ports

A view shows the oil port of Es Sider, Libya, March 16, 2017. Picture taken March 16, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/File Photo
A view shows the oil port of Es Sider, Libya, March 16, 2017. Picture taken March 16, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/File Photo
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Protests in Libya Disrupt Oil Loadings at Two Major Ports

A view shows the oil port of Es Sider, Libya, March 16, 2017. Picture taken March 16, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/File Photo
A view shows the oil port of Es Sider, Libya, March 16, 2017. Picture taken March 16, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori/File Photo

Local protesters blocked crude oil loadings at the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports in Libya on Tuesday, five engineers and a shipping source told Reuters, putting about 450,000 barrels per day of exports at risk.

In a statement addressed to the country's state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) dated Jan. 5, the protesters demanded the relocation of several oil company headquarters to the Oil Crescent region, calling for fair development of their coastal area to improve living conditions.

The company said on its official X account on Tuesday that its crude production had reached more than 1.4 million bpd, about 200,000 bpd short of its pre-civil war high. It was not immediately clear if the blockade had had an impact on production so far.

A loading program seen by Reuters showed that Es Sider was on track to export about 340,000 bpd of crude in January, with another 110,000 bpd slated to ship from Ras Lanuf.

Brent crude prices were up 41 cents at $77.49 a barrel by 1119 GMT, with analysts citing the Libya outage as one of the reasons for the rise.

Protests have previously disrupted oil operations in Libya, forcing the shutdown in August last year of about 700,000 bpd of production in a dispute over the position of the central bank governor.

The shutdowns lasted for more than a month, with production gradually resuming from early October.



Hamas Says it Will Free 6 Living Israeli Hostages on Saturday

Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza hold banners and photos during a protest near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on September 30 (EPA)
Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza hold banners and photos during a protest near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on September 30 (EPA)
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Hamas Says it Will Free 6 Living Israeli Hostages on Saturday

Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza hold banners and photos during a protest near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on September 30 (EPA)
Families of Israelis held hostage in Gaza hold banners and photos during a protest near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on September 30 (EPA)

A top Hamas leader says the group will release six living Israeli hostages on Saturday.

The six are the last living hostages set to be freed under the first phase of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Three hostages had been expected to be freed on Saturday, The AP reported.

The warring sides have yet to negotiate the second and more difficult phase, in which Hamas would release dozens more hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal.

Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya announced the decision in prerecorded remarks on Tuesday.

The releases have come in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.