Gas Natural paraliza las exportaciones desde Libia

Gas Natural faces factson El Brega production

Spanish importercomes to termswith cargo haltfrom Libya plant

Gas Natural Fenosa has conceded that LNG deliveries from Libya's sole liquefaction plant have been halted and it is not known when production might resume.The energy company, which delivers LNG from the Marsa El Brega site to Spain, has previously denied any problems with supply, claiming its contract remained in operation.

The area midway along Libya's Mediterranean coastline has seen frequent fierce fighting since civil war erupted earlier this year."I can confirm that we have not received any deliveries since February," a Gas Natural source said this week. US-based shipping consultancy Waterbourne Energy said that no cargoes have been scheduled for this month or next from Marsa El Brega.

Vessel tracking data also show that the 35,500-cbm Annabella (built 1975, pictured), the only LNG carrier that regularly loads Libyan cargoes, remains at anchor off Gibraltar where it has been for months. The Marsa El Brega LNG plant, nominally controlled by state outfit Sirte Oil, was once able to produce 3.2 million tonnes per annum but that has shrunk to a trickle since the 1980s. A project with supermajor Shell to restore output to original levels was already on hold when anti-Muammar Gaddafi demonstrations began in February.

Fuente:LNG UNLIMITED