Libyan rebel oil-export prospects limited

A shipment of oil has made it out of war-torn Libya, but it may be last for some time to come

The departure of a tanker laden with oil from rebel-held territory in Libya, to an unspecified destination, should bring badly needed funds to the cash-strapped insurgents. But damage to rebel-held oil infrastructure resulting from government military action and the high risks involved in shipping the crude mean the event may prove to be little more than a one-off. While oil exports from government-held territory are banned under the terms of the tightly enforced international embargo on Libya, the rebel-held eastern sector of the country is being allowed to trade, if it can. The shipment of up to 1m barrels left Hariga port, near Tobruk, last Wednesday on the Equator, a vessel operated by G