The Libyan National Council (LNC), with the help of Qatar has been able to export only a small amount of crude oil from oil facilities in Libya’s east.
Traders are wary of purchasing any Libyan oil due to fears that rebel shipments might somehow be linked to Libya’s National Oil Corporation, which is blacklisted by the UN.
“We will sell crude oil through international tenders as we are able to and we will look to buy refined products through tenders,” Aref Ali Nayed, who coordinates the LNC’s efforts to secure overseas supplies, said.
“Now that there is an agreed financial mechanism after Rome, tendering processes and procurement processes are being streamlined for further crude and refined products.”
A NATO-backed coalition set up a special fund to help the cash-strapped rebel group, which has been battling forces loyal to Qaddafi for several weeks.
The so-called temporary financial mechanism was agreed at a Rome meeting last week.
Libyan rebels have found a way to access badly needed cash, selling oil worth $100 million paid for through a Qatari bank in US dollars, a member of the rebels’ oil and gas support group for Libya said earlier.
Nayed said an LNC economic committee is responsible for “telling us all our needs and prioritizing our supplies” in coordination with oil and legal experts.
