Russia increases its influence in Libya. On 21 February the state oil company Rosneft signed an agreement with the Libyan Noc. Libya’s national energy company has long been trying to encourage foreign investment in the country divided politically and militarily between the West and the East.
In the last few months the role of Moscow in an unstable Libya has grown. The Kremlin has submitted a clear signal about the support of one of the protagonists of the Libyan division of General Khalifa the Haftarot, who heads the self-proclaimed Libyan National army, operating in the East in the summer and won control over the oil plants of Cyrenaica, which were in the hands of the local militia. In November, Haftarah visited Moscow. In January in support of the Russian military General invited him aboard their aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean sea.
Russia in these weeks together with his Egyptian ally al-Sisi is trying to play the role of mediator between the East and the West Haftarot government Fayeza al-Zarraga, supported by the UN. The meeting of the two rival leaders in Cairo broke down. Sarraj said on 19 February that it expects Russia’s assistance in the reconciliation of the parties. A few hours later against him were committed by a failed assassination attempt on the street in Tripoli, which is under his weak control.
“We need aid and investment in major international oil companies to achieve our goals for the production and stabilization of our economy”, — said after signing the agreement with Russia Mustafa Sanalla. The President of the Noc of times in the past, reiterated that the restoration of the long-suffering Libyan economy depends on unity of purpose and national cooperation in the recovery of the oil sector.
Libyan energy company — perhaps the only organization in the country, which in these months provides a unifying function in the circumstances of the General instability, collaborating with all parties. Its President Sanalla after several months of negotiations with the militias, local tribes and clans, could once again result in the movement of Western oilfield — the Sharara, the largest in the country, and the El Fil (Elephant), and to cooperate with the Haftarot (controlling plants in the East), though he initially tried to sell their own raw materials abroad.
For many years the dictatorship of Gaddafi, Russia has made various investments in Libya. Signed on 21 February, the agreement provides for the establishment of a Committee for the evaluation of extension activities for mining and oil production. Noc collaborates with other foreign energy companies, including Italian Eni and French Total. The activities of the Noc going against the political and military split in Libya has led to a doubling of production volumes that fell before to 300 thousand barrels per day.
Today Libya, along with Nigeria and Iran is one of OPEC members, which are not subject to the restriction on oil production imposed by the international organization to stop the fall in oil prices, it produces 700 thousand barrels of oil per day, and Canella expects by the end of the year to increase this number to 1.2 million barrels. Before the revolution of 2011, Libya was producing 1.6 million barrels of feedstock per day.
