By Libya Herald staff.
Tripoli, 26 January 2014:
The government has approved the establishment of a petroleum technical institute in Obari, in Fezzan.
A Cabinet resolution, No 10/2104, has said that the college, to be called Obari Petroleum Institute, would come under the aegis of National Foundation for Technical & Vocational Education.
Plans to establish an institute in Obari were confirmed in late October by the Oil and Gas Minister, Abdulbari Al-Arusi, when he was negotiating with Tuareg and other protestors who had forced the closure of the nearby Sharara oilfield. One of their complaints was that local people were not benefitting from the oil industry.
Arusi also repeated at the time that a branch of the Ministry and Oil and Gas and a refinery would be set up in the area. So far, no more has been heard about that.
Jobs for locals had also been one of the demands of protestors last summer when they closed the neighbouring El-Fil field. In response, it was reported last June that the Prime Minister had approved the creation of two new oil companies based in the south of the country: a 30,000-50,000 barrels a day refinery at Obari and an exploration and production company in Sebha.
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