Libya update Sep 25: Chinese vessel bound for Libya to lift oil after a blockade on oil exports is partially lifted

The Marlin Shikoku, owned by a Chinese state-run company, is bound for Libya, set to arrive on 27 September to lift oil after a blockade on oil exports is partially lifted. Libyan oil fields and terminals had been stopped since January 2020 as the fight for the control of the oil revenue prevented any agreement between rival factions.

On September 18, a member of the GNA and the son of warlord Khalifa Haftar announced that the exports would resume. This announcement was quickly rejected by other GNA members and state institutions, raising doubt as to the feasibility of the agreement. Vessels are nevertheless expected to be lifting oil from the ports while the formal obstacles to trading in Libya are been removed.

The situation is still uncertain, exposing vessels to threats that have not disappeared overnight. We continue to publish updates on the situation in our Weekly Libya Reports, available on a subscription basis.