Spotlight on Sirte as Libyan ports open up

摘要

As a steady stream of oil men fly into Tripoli with the aim of securing a slice of the action in rehabilitating the country's beleaguered oil industry, Libya's importance as a potential future large-scale supplier of oil and gas is increasingly evident. But economic diversification is also a priority and, despite the importance of the oil and gas sector, the Libyan authorities are keen to stimulate new industrial activity to generate foreign trade in other sectors. The country's ports and terminals along the length of its Mediterranean coastline are already experiencing an upturn in trade. In Tripoli itself, road congestion is a constant concern and containers are no longer handled at the port for that reason. To the east by about 80kms and 160kms respectively, there are the two ports of Khoms and Misurata, both of which handle containers, and a further 500kms or so along the coast, there is Benghazi.