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Tripoli, 20 March 2013:
Clashes are said to be continuing today in the Ghani oilfield between security guards and a militia supposedly from Ajdabiya called the Jazira Brigade. The oilfield, in the western Sirte Basin, some 50 km north of the Zella oasis, is operated by Harouge Oil, formerly Veba, a jont venture between the National Oil Corporation and Petro-Canada.
There are reports that some staff are being evacuated for their ssafety but it has not been possible to confirm this. The clashes are said to be over who can guard the facility.
Similar clashes, were reported two days ago at Waha Oil’s nearby Dahra field. The two clashes are thought to be related. The guards at Dahra are said to be from Ajdabiya and the attackers from Sirte.
At the beginning of the month, there were clashes at Mellitah gas complex, some 60 km west of Tripoli, between militiamen from Zintan and Zuara over who should be guarding the complex. One man was killed in the fighting which halted gas exports to Italy. The clashes were only ended and production restarted when the army intervened and took over the site.
Neither of the clashes at Ghani and Dahra have so far affected production. However, it was reported yesterday, Tuesday, that flights between Tripoli’s Mitiga airport and Dahra airfield had been temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile, the protests at Waha Oil’s Gialo 59 field are continuing, a source in the nearby town of Jalu has told the Libya Herald today. There is growing frustration among the protestors, the source said. “They were expecting feedback from the company by today regarding their demands, but there has been no feedback.”
The protestors have been demanding that Waha end a contract with a services contractor and instead give jobs to local people, especially vehicle drivers.
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