Libya’s NOC on 25 January said it had cut natural gas supplies to Lifeco, operator of four fertilizer production plants at Marsa al-Brega with 850,000 t/y of urea and 120,000 t/y of ammonia capacity, as a result of dues owed by its JV partner, Norway’s Yara.

NOC said negotiations had been unsuccessful “as a result of Yara’s refusal to assume repayment responsibility” adding the current arrangement was “profitable to Yara, but loss-making for NOC.” NOC says Yara owes it $80mn and owes its subsidiary Sirte Oil Company LD 210mn ($152mn) and €31mn ($35mn). (CONTINUED - 150 WORDS)