(Reuters) - Libya is lifting force majeure from the eastern Zueitina oil port on Monday, state-run National Oil Corp (NOC) said, paving the way to restart exports at a second port after a deal with rebels to unblock major terminals.
Marketing for the sale of oil in the port's tanks would start from Tuesday after Libya lifted the waiver of its oil contracts, NOC spokesman Mohammed El Harari said.
Zueitina, with a capacity to ship 70,000 barrels per day (b[bpd), is one of four eastern ports to be reopened after the government reached an agreement with rebels who had been controlling them since summer.
The 110,000 bpd Hariga port in Tobruk is the only one so far to have reopened since the agreement three weeks ago. Zueitina was also meant to restart business, but the government said it was delayed by technical problems due to the long closure.
The larger terminals Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were also meant to reopen within four weeks, but there have been delays as the rebels have accused the government of not fulfilling all the parts of the deal, including paying financial compensation.
Libya had produced around 1.4 million bpd before last summer, with the four ports accounting for more than 700,000 bpd.
Under the agreement, the rebels will be reintegrated into the state oil security force, from which they defected last summer when they occupied the ports to press for a share of oil export revenue.
On Sunday, Justice Minister Salah Merghani told reporters the government was working day and night to fulfil its part of the deal.
Diplomats expect both sides to implement the deal eventually as Libya badly needs the oil revenue, but tactical manoeuvres and mutual mistrust are likely to cause delays.
The dispute is only part of the widespread disruption in the OPEC producer, where the government cannot control militias who helped oust former strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but then held on to their weapons and have made demands by seizing oilfields or government ministries.
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