Can ISIS Actually Gain Power Over Libya's Oil?

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Submitted by Julianne Geiger via OilPrice.com,

As it turns out, Syria was merely a springboard for a much larger ISIS plan—replenishing terrorist coffers by taking over oil assets in war-torn Libya.

The terror group has largely taken control of the Libyan city of Sirte and its hundreds of miles of coastline, and has ransacked two key oil terminals in an attempt to wrest control from fragile Libyan officials, ISIS is banking on taking over these oil facilities, and is now reportedly recruiting its own oil and gas engineers.

Libyan crude should be an easier target than Iraqi oil, which has remained largely out of ISIS reach. If ISIS succeeds, it will have more revenues and more power.

Reeling from warring parallel ''governments'' in a seething civil war, Libya is in no position to stop ISIS from filling the void.

Libyan oil officials say ISIS has ravaged oilfields south of Sirte, clashing with guards at key oil terminals, shelling storage facilities, and setting oil tanks on fire. All that's left to do now is take over this part of the business in earnest.

Last week, ISIS targeted two of Libya's largest export terminals—Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, which handle 80 percent of Libya's oil reserves. Combined, they have the capacity to ship 500,000 barrels today, barring civil war and terrorist hindrances. For the past year, these two export terminals have been closed down, but ISIS has plans to reopen them—eventually.

After several days of clashes with ISIS and the death of at least 18 guards, Libya's National Oil Corporation has regained shaky control over the terminals and scrambled to empty the storage tanks at Ras Lanuf as a precaution. Meanwhile, fires have been put out at both terminals.

So how are ISIS recruitment efforts coming along? So far, recruitment efforts are just in the planning stage, but if ISIS does manage to take firm control of these facilities, it may find a willing applicant pool from Libya’s plentiful group of desperate oil workers who felt the weight of unemployment for quite some time.

Can ISIS effectively take control of Libyan oil? To some extent, yes. The terrorist group already controls nearly 300 kilometers of Libya's coastline west and east of the city of Sirte, which serves as its base in the country.

ISIS is also estimated by some to have around 3,000 fighters based in Sirte.

Given the ease with which ISIS apparently took control in Sirte and attacked the nearby oil facilities, there is a clear threat to two other key terminals, Brega and Zueitina, as well as two vulnerable producing oilfields that may be at risk, Amal and Nafoora.

If ISIS succeeds, it will generate significant revenues from selling Libyan oil domestically.

Libya has been in grave danger since the fall of Ghaddafi. Today, Libya is only generating half the oil revenues it was prior to 2011.

The chaos that has controlled the country since then has now metamorphosed into a civil war between two opposing governments--the internationally-recognized Council of Deputies based in Tobruk and the General National Congress (GNC) based in Tripoli. A peaceful power-sharing agreement is nowhere in sight as neither can agree on how to spit the oil revenues.

The Islamic State's play for Libyan oil could lead the warring governments to speed up a power-sharing agreement to end the civil war and unite them in the face of an even greater threat. Or, they could lose all to ISIS, which would allow the terrorist group to seize control of an OPEC country. There is also a mid-way scenario that gives ISIS control of the oil facilities around Sirte and a major interim boost to its operational budget.

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Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:35 | 7041547 Bastiat
Bastiat's picture

Well, sure; they have to replace the oil $$ supply that the Russions shut down, don't they?  Won't be any Russians defending Libyan oil from ISIS . . . and I'll bet you won't see the US and NATO won't doing it either.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:45 | 7041624 troubledasset
troubledasset's picture

No, any tanker leaving the Libyan cost will be bombed by someone. That could be Libya or another OPEC country, but it will happen. In fact, it's happened several times in the last 12 months.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:57 | 7041739 froze25
froze25's picture

So whats the big deal if the Saudi's get control of Libya? Excuse me ISIS gets control of Libya.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:00 | 7041761 besnook
besnook's picture

isis is the usa. aren't you patriotic? or are you a tttttuuuuuurrrrriiiissssstttttt?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:23 | 7041934 WTFRLY
WTFRLY's picture

That's the plan and the goal.....

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 16:03 | 7042169 MrNosey
MrNosey's picture

Yes if the West wants them to and turns a blind eye, plus keeps supplying them with arms etc!

 

If you are not a 'DHIMMI' you may find this of interest......


 

http://beforeitsnews.com/global-unrest/2016/01/the-lion-is-it-time-to-fi...

 

 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:35 | 7041548 Bangin7GramRocks
Bangin7GramRocks's picture

Give me a fucking break! What, will ISIS shoot their whole wad and send 5,000 "fighters" to Libya? If the US deems it necessary for ISIS to control Libya, they will. If not, they have no goddamn chance. Stop trying to create this all-powerful terrorizer super group. It didn't work for Al Queda and it certainly won't work for ISIS. Booga booga booga! Scared yet?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:10 | 7041834 Libertati Aut A...
Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:40 | 7041958 Paveway IV
Paveway IV's picture

Stop back in a couple of weeks, 7Gram. By then, the Italians will be leading the U.S., U.K. and French troop 'anti-terrorist' operation in Libya. It will only cost a half-billion or so and last, oh... three, maybe four years? Tell the defense industry cronies that 'it didn't work' for al Qaeda or ISIS - they will laugh their asses off at you. They could give a damn whether YOU are scared or not - they just want Congress to be scared and throw money at the threat.

It works every time and twice as good in an election year. Think Julianne Geiger's article is just some randomly-timed industry-driven observation? The narrative for "OMFG! We must send American troops to Libya NOW to stop the ISIS threat" has already started. Expect the MSM to pick up this industry buzz and start citing it in their articles and reports to prime the American public for another unconstitutional oil war, courtesy of Israel's little bitches in the U.S. Congress.

It worked for al Qaeda and it works for ISIS. Booga booga booga. Grab your ankles, goy taxpayers - this is gonna hurt. Send aircraft carriers and U.S. troops to 'solve' the ISIS problem you created by assassinating Ghadaffi and impoverishing 7 million previously-happy Libyans in their new jihadi hell-hole.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:38 | 7041562 researchfix
researchfix's picture

Saudi wells are empty.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:38 | 7041564 NoVa
NoVa's picture

Thank you Billary.

 

IF Qaddafi had simply made a "contribution" to the Clinton Foundation, he'd still be in power & ruling.

 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:43 | 7041612 1000yrdstare
1000yrdstare's picture

Qaddafi also made the mistake of trying to sell his oil for gold.... OIL CAN ONLY BE BOUGHT WITH US DOLLAS!!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:59 | 7041756 froze25
froze25's picture

Damn skippy, here is the email from Hillary and a French Gov't"official" that supports your view point.

https://www.foia.state.gov/searchapp/DOCUMENTS/HRCEmail_DecWebClearedMet...

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:41 | 7041584 Rehab Willie
Rehab Willie's picture

We schlonged some folks

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:42 | 7041593 booboo
booboo's picture

Look, there is only room for one shitty fingered towel wearing camel fucking pedophile oligarch stupor power in the middle east and saudi arabia is all we can tolerate at this time so you other wanna be goat fucking johnny come lately's are just gonna have to stand down. Capice!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:47 | 7041639 Jack's Raging B...
Jack's Raging Bile Duct's picture

What an immensely useful tool ISIS has proven to be in manipulating oil prices. I wonder if they still have that central bank they setup two weeks after they began fighting Quaddafi.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:58 | 7041749 besnook
besnook's picture

putin took their zionazi money in syria and iraq so they moved to libya for an alternative source of the money.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 14:59 | 7041750 r0mulus
r0mulus's picture

It's fucking awful what has befallen the people of Libya:
CIA/MI6/DGSE/MOSSAD puppeteering a bunch of Wahhabist mercenaries around the Middle East.
Makes me sick to think about it.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:14 | 7041863 Libertati Aut A...
Libertati Aut Ad Mortem's picture

You forgot the head hontcho that runs the whole thing: the CFR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfpgl6NqF0I

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:01 | 7041775 metanoic
metanoic's picture

I like turning on the lamestream media where I hear no one talk about how exactly a ragtag group of camel jockey's can steal, process, sell and transport oil internationally without anyone's help whilst leaving absolutely no trace. Elephant in the room doesn't begin to describe the situation. Curiously, this is very similar to feeding, fueling & arming a supposed JV team of terrorists who've withstood 'US bombing' in Syria for the past 5 years without any assistance. You know what they say, if you've got your head in the sand you're on your knees with your ass in the air. I'll let you guess what comes next.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:25 | 7041945 silverer
silverer's picture

Well!  Now there's quite an accomplishment by Hillary she can brag about in prison!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 15:39 | 7042044 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

no

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 16:05 | 7042193 Jack Burton
Jack Burton's picture

For ISIS, it is now far safer to go to Libya than to be on the front lines in Syria, where the SAA advances daily under crushing Russian airstrikes, and multiple rocket launcher packages delivered onto ISIS heads. Given that this will only worsen as the spring campaigning season gets underway. Under clear summer skies the ISIS roaches will be hunted down and crushed. Even though Saudi Arabia has begun and emergency arms airlift via Turkey to ISIS in Syria and NATO too is using Bulgaria to ship arms to ISIS via Turkey. Large numbers of men too are flooding in to the killing machine, but still ISIS falls back.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 16:43 | 7042246 NuYawkFrankie
NuYawkFrankie's picture

"Paging ISIS Commanders... paging ISIS Commanders... go kippa-free for the duration of the Libyan Campaign... some rabid anti-semites are starting to get suspicious..." - Nutt&Yahoo

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 19:28 | 7043290 PrimalScream
PrimalScream's picture

Answer to OrigiNAL Post Headline ... Yes.

But I'm sure a Rogue Army will show up to fight ISIS.

It can't be long before the Western powers chip in some money (freshly printed), hire a huge number of mercenaries (with no background checks required), assemble a Rogue Army, and send the Barbarians after ISIS. 

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 00:33 | 7044557 onmail1
onmail1's picture

<-- Satan America == ISIS 

ISIS is an american creation

American created ISIS is murdering people

American created  ISIS is making people slaves

American created  ISIS is making children fight wars , robbing them of education 

American created ISIS is making female slaves 

American created ISIS is selling body parts harvested from its victims

------------

All this darkness on earth

due to America, CIA & cabalA$$LickerLiarAddictObamma

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!