Speaking on one of the discussion panels at the Libya Energy and Economic Summit 2024 (Tripoli, 13 to 14 January) Vaclav Bartuska, Ambassador-at-Large / Special Envoy for Energy Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic told the gathered audience that the Czech Republic was ready to buy oil/gas from Libya. The panellists were discussing what were the steps Libya needed to take to increase production. Ambassador Bartuska also confirmed that he had met with Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas, Mohamed Aoun, during his Libya visit. He said the first condition for Libya to increase oil production is political stability. And when asked how the Czech Republic and the EU can help Libya achieve that stability, he said no one except the Libyans themselves can bring stability to Libya.

Whilst Libya has struggled to attract the investment and expertise of leading western services firms (MEES, 19 January), the largest such firm SLB (formerly Schlumberger) flags up three key recent Libya deals in its Q4 results on 19 January. SLB says it and local partner National Oil Wells Drilling & Workover Company have won a contract to drill an initial two wells (plus one optional) for Spain’s Repsol. Repsol and partners TotalEnergies, Equinor and OMV plan to kick off a nine-well exploration drilling campaign on their NC-115 and NC-186 ‘Sharara’ blocks in far southwest Libya from April. (CONTINUED - 314 WORDS)

Reconstruction and recovery needs following the catastrophic flooding in eastern Libya last September are estimated at $1.8 billion, according to a new report released Wednesday by the World Bank, the United Nations, and the European Union. The Libya Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) analyses damages and losses – as well as recovery and reconstruction needs – using a globally established methodology across almost all sectors of the Libyan economy. The report estimates 70 per cent of the needed reconstruction costs would be for infrastructure, with housing the largest component. In addition to outlining the recovery and reconstruction needs, the RDNA analyses the cost of physical damages caused by the flooding and the economic losses in its aftermath. The $1.65 billion total of damages and losses account for 3.6 per cent of Libya’s GDP in 2022.

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Turkey’s growing influence in Libya is reportedly worrying Athens, especially as tensions between Ankara and Benghazi have eased. This was facilitated by last September’s Storm Daniel, which led to the deaths of thousands of people in Derna and other cities in eastern Libya, prompting humanitarian aid from Turkey, which was welcomed by Benghazi. It should be noted that the Libyan parliament has not ratified the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, which encroaches on Greek sovereignty, and this has boosted Athens’ arguments over the agreement’s legality. The problem for Athens is the attitude of its partners toward the Turkish presence in Libya. Also under scrutiny are the recent announcements by Turkish officials about exploiting the “possibilities” offered by the Turko-Libyan Memorandum to Ankara and Tripoli for hydrocarbon exploration south of Crete.

The visit of a Libyan delegation to Beirut this week marks an “important step” in the disappearance of Imam Musa Al Sadr, a prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric who went missing during a trip to Libya in 1978, a Lebanese judicial source told The National. “This is the first time in years that the Libyan side is showing serious signs of co-operation regarding Mr Al Sadr's case,” the source said. The judicial source said that the current talks were first steps to resume co-operation over the case. In 1978, Mr Al Sadr along with an aide and a journalist flew to Libya to meet local officials. This month, Human Rights Watch called for the release of Mr Qaddafi.

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The Associated Press said that a Libyan delegation visited Beirut this week to reopen talks with Lebanese officials about the release of Muammar Gaddafi’s son, Hannibal, who has been detained in Lebanon for years. The agency cited a legal official familiar with the case as saying that the Libyan delegation left Beirut after spending several days in Lebanon, where they met with the Minister of Justice and a judge heading the investigation committee into Al-Sadr’s disappearance. The official described the talks as “positive” but did not say whether they had achieved any results, adding that the delegation is expected to return next week, and that the Lebanese and Libyan authorities are dealing with the two cases separately. Hannibal Gaddafi has been detained in Lebanon since 2015 after being kidnapped from Syria, where he was living as a political refugee. The Lebanese authorities released him and then arrested him, accusing him of concealing information about Al-Sadr’s disappearance.

Libya's deadly flash flood in September constituted a climate and environmental catastrophe that requires $1.8 billion in reconstruction and recovery, an international report said on Wednesday. Huge swathes of the city of Derna were destroyed in the flood, after heavy rainfall from Storm Daniel crashed through two aging dams, sweeping entire districts into the Mediterranean. Population growth and development downstream, limited weather forecasting in the region and inadequate early warning systems to ensure evacuation accentuated the disaster, the report said. Climate change had made the rainfall unleashed by Storm Daniel up to 50 times more likely and 50 percent more intense, according to the report. Despite calls by the UN for Libya's ruling factions to put aside their differences to formulate a coordinated response to the Derna disaster, there has been little sign they are willing to do so.

Repsol Energy announced that it will resume in the Al-Sharara oil field after Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has lifted force majeure from the field, which was shut down three weeks ago. Al-Sharara is operated by Akakus, a joint venture of the Libyan National Oil Corporation, in partnership with Repsol, TotalEnergies, OMV and Equinor. Repsol has highlighted its plans to restart exploration and production activities in Libya in April. Repsol began E&P activities in Libya in the 1960s. Oil production in block NC115 started in 1996, while the same for NC186 began in 2003.

On September 10, Storm Daniel hit the east coast of Libya, causing floods that collapsed two dams in Derna and released a deluge of water that razed entire neighbourhoods. UN humanitarian agency OCHA has confirmed 4,352 deaths and more than 8,000 missing persons, "making Storm Daniel the deadliest storm in Africa since 1900", reads the report published by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. According to the report, 20 municipalities were affected by Storm Daniel and will require an estimated $1.8 billion over three years for reconstruction and recovery. The housing sector was hit the hardest, with around 18,500 homes destroyed or damaged, the equivalent of 7 percent of housing, reads the report. Libya has been battered by armed conflict and political chaos since a NATO-backed uprising led to the toppling of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

The Libya Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) analyses damages and losses – as well as recovery and reconstruction needs – using a globally established methodology across almost all sectors of the Libyan economy. The report estimates 70 per cent of the needed reconstruction costs would be for infrastructure, with housing the largest component. In addition to outlining the recovery and reconstruction needs, the RDNA analyses the cost of physical damages caused by the flooding and the economic losses in its aftermath. The $1.65 billion total of damages and losses account for 3.6 per cent of Libya’s GDP in 2022. About the Libya Rapid Damage & Needs Assessment The Libya Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment report follows a globally established and recognized damage, loss, and needs assessment methodology developed by the World Bank with contributions from the UN, and the EU.

Strong Group Athletics against Al Ahli Tripoli in the Dubai International Basketball Championship. (Photo: UAE Basketball Association/FB)The Strong Group Athletics completed a sweep of its group stage games after squeaking past Libya's Al Ahli Tripoli, 91-89, on early Thursday in the Dubai International Basketball Championship. Wajdi Omran Dawo split his free throws as he was fouled by Heading, before Strong Group eventually took their fifth win. The Strong Group led, 51-50, at the end of the first half as they erased a 12-point advantage by the Libya team in the first quarter. Strong Group will be heading to the quarterfinals with a 5-0 card.

“Civilian casualties during the conduct of these attacks cannot be ruled out,” the Danish internal review, previously marked secret, concluded. Extract of the document sent in May 2012 from Danish military command to the country’s Nato representatives. In each case, a second country was involved, but its name remains redacted, meaning it remains possible another country’s military delivered the deadly bombs. Having been shown the documents, he said he would discuss with his lawyer about bringing a claim against the Danish military. Pilots were supposed to abort missions if they suspected attacks would cause civilian casualties.

Strong Group escapes Libyan squadJordan Heading (15) led SGA in scoring with 19 points off the bench. MANILA, Philippines -- Strong Group Athletics (SGA) swept the group stage of the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship after squeaking past Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli, 91-89, early Thursday morning (Manila time). On the other end, the Libyan team missed two attempts from beyond the arc, which would have tied the contest. Badrush spearheaded Al Ahly Tripoli with 27 points. The Philippine side, however, scored five straight points to cut the deficit to seven, 20-27, heading into the second quarter.