Libya rebels not lead OPEC

VIENNA: Libya's rebels will not be sending a representative to Wednesday's OPEC meeting, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, leaving just one Libyan delegation.

The Libyan rebels' finance and oil minister Ali Tarhouni voiced hopes of attending the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting last month in a bid to gain greater international recognition.

"There's no official representative. The Transitional National Council asked OPEC to attend but they didn't have any response or feedback," said Abdeljalil Mayouf, information manager at rebel oil firm Arabian Gulf Oil Company.

"It's very sensitive and I don't think OPEC would accept two representatives."An OPEC official declined to comment.

A source in the Libyan rebel government said that Ali Tarhouni was still in Benghazi and that it was "highly unlikely" he would come to Vienna, in either an official or an unofficial capacity.

Libyan representation at the meeting came into question after the defection of its top oil official Shokri Ghanem who normally heads its OPEC delegation.

Omran Abukraa, an official in Muammer Qaddafi's government with a background in electricity supply, will lead Libya's delegation.

Analysts saw the possible presence of two Libyan delegations at the meeting as an additional source of tension between countries and a possible obstacle to agreement.

OPEC member Qatar has officially recognised the rebel government and offered them financial support.

Copyright Reuters, 2011