The Indian-flagged oil vessel, Distya Ameya, was filled with a shipment of crude oil, which reached 650 thousand barrels, in Al-Hareega oil port in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk by the parallel National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Al-Bayda-based Al-Thanni government, local media outlets reported.

In the meantime, the internationally recognized Tripoli-based NOC has objected to the attempts to export Libya’s oil illegally via the Indian vessel, which came from the UAE.

Relatedly, the US Embassy in Tripoli has issued a statement outlining its grave concern about purchasing the Libyan oil outside of traditional channels. “All purchases of Libyan oil must continue to be through the Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation to maintain the stability and credibility of Libya’s oil in international oil markets” It remarked.

The US embassy concluded by saying that Distya Ameya is owned by Arya Ship Charterers Pvt Ltd and has been charted by UAE-based DSA Consultancy FCZ, pointing out that the US is positive that the Indian-flagged vessel was not cleared to load in the Marsa Al-Hareega port.

Al-Thanni government has created a parallel NOC to the one already based in Tripoli, but world powers and the UN Security Council prohibited the formation of sovereign parallel institutions, announcing that they won’t recognize any institutions that would stand as parallel ones to the legitimate institutions in the capital.