Clashes at Libya oil sites cause 'catastrophic losses'

Libya's National Oil Company said on Monday that it suffered "catastrophic losses" when two storage tanks were destroyed during fierce clashes in the country's northeastern oil crescent. Armed groups on Thursday attacked the Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra terminals held by forces loyal to Libyan strongman's Khalifa Haftar around 650 kilometres (400 miles) east of Tripoli.
On Sunday, Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive to push the militias - loyal to rebel leader Ibrahim Jadhran - out of the oil crescent. The NOC said it had lost "storage tanks 2 and 12 at the Ras Lanuf port terminal following Thursday's armed assault by militia in the Oil Crescent, led by Ibrahim Jadhran".
Ras Lanuf's storage capacity - at 950,000 barrels of crude before the attack - has now been reduced to 550,000, the NOC said. A photo published by the firm showed large columns of black smoke billowing from a destroyed reservoir.