Fear, wrangling hamper Libyan oil recovery

In Libya: Victory for rebels, but uncertainty for contractors

AFP/Scanpix

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By News Wires

 27 October 2011 16:51 GMT

A speedy return of Libyan oil output to pre-war levels is facing new obstacles as foreign firms struggle to negotiate who will provide security for workers vulnerable to attacks in the desert and in cities bristling with weapons, a report said.

The largest contractors working on Libya's oil fields say most foreign companies still have no timeframe in place for returning evacuated staff, and few have volunteered to return, Reuters reported.

Libya, holder of Africa's largest oil reserves, is currently pumping around 500,000 barrels per day and industry sources doubt it can quickly triple output to pre-war levels, which represented around 2% of global oil consumption.

"Foreigners are not coming back any time soon. At the moment we are planning with a Libyan workforce, with the exception of a few expats who have opted…

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