Document #1229285
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
Several sources describe Sirte Oil Company
(SOC) as either state-owned, or a subsidiary of the state-owned
National Oil Corporation (NOC) (United States Energy Information
Administration Sept. 1998; MBendi 26 June 1996; Export Sales
Prospector 1 Aug. 1997; Business Week 3 Feb. 1986).
The United States Energy Information Administration states that SOC
was "originally created in 1985 as a joint venture with Grace
Petroleum," an American company that was forced to leave Libya by
the American government in 1996 (Sept. 1998). The Export Sales
Prospector states that SOC was "originally known as Esso
Standard Libya, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Esso Standard [that] was
nationalized in 1981 and subsequently renamed Sirte Oil Company" (1
Aug. 1997), MBendi, a South African consulting company on African
commerce, states that it was formerly Standard Oil Libya (26 June
1996), Platt's Oilgram News indicates that it was a
"former Exxon joint venture with Libya's National Oil Corporation"
(19 Nov. 1991), and UPI refers to it as "formerly Esso Libya" (17
Jan. 1986).
The United States Energy Information
Administration states that "SOC operates the Raguba field in the
central part of the Sirte Basin [which] is connected by pipeline to
the main line between the Nasser field and Marsa el-Brega" and that
SOC is also in charge of the fields at Nasser, Attahaddy and
Assumud, of the total 12 oil fields in Libya (Sept. 1998). MBendi
states that there are three oil refineries in Libya and that SOC
owns the one known as Brega located at Mersa el Brega (3 May 1997;
30 Sept. 1995.). In August 1997, Export Sales Prospector
reported that SOC had awarded a contract to a German company for
the construction of a 120 km pipeline between Marsa el-Brega and
Zueitina and that SOC was also expected to have another line
constructed between Zueitina and Bengazi (1 Aug. 1997).
In 1996, MBendi identified SOC's chairman
as AH Aoun (Ahmed) with a telephone number of 218 21 602-052 and a
fax number of 218 21 601-487 (26 June 1996). In 1997 the Export
Sales Prospector indicated a telephone number for SOC of 218 1
602-052/6 and a fax number of 218 1 601-487; however it identified
the chairman as M.M. Benniran and the Acting Manager as M.S. Omran
(1 Aug. 1997). Two other sources also identify Mansur Benniran as
the chairman of SOC (UPI 17 Jan. 1986; Platt's Oilgram
News 19 Nov. 1991), with the latter also stating that Benniran
was "regarded as number six in the Libyan government hierarchy [in
1997]" (ibid.).
MBendi gives the address of the Brega
Refinery as P.O. Box 385 Tripoli (30 Sept. 1995), and the
Export Sales Provider gives the address of Sirte Field,
Marsa Brega, Box 385, Tripoli as that of SOC (1 Aug. 1997).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Business Week. 3 February 1986.
John Rossant and Neal Sandler. "Moving Further and Further into
Moscow's Embrace." (NEXIS)
Export Sales Prospector. 1
August 1997. "Libya: Construction Contract Awarded for Planned
$61,000,000 Gas Pipeline..." (NEXIS)
MBendi. 3 May 1997. "Country Profile:
Libya." [Internet] www.mbendi.co.za
[Accessed 29 Dec. 1998]
_____. 26 June 1996. "Sirte Oil
Company." [Internet] www.mbendi.co.za [Accessed 29 Dec. 1998]
_____. 30 September 1995. "Refineries in
Libya." [Internet] www.mbendi.co.za
[Accessed 29 Dec. 1998]
Platt's Oilgram News, n.p. 19
November 1991. "Status of Oil Workers in Libya Put in Doubt."
(NEXIS)
United States Energy Information
Administration. September 1998. "Libya." [Internet] www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/libya
[Accessed 29 Dec. 1998]
United Press International (UPI). 17
January 1986. James M. Dorsey. "Americans in Libya Angered at Being
Political 'Pawns'." (NEXIS)