The National Oil Corporation (NOC) plans to lay the foundation stone for its new complex in Benghazi on 23 October.

Salim and Ibrahim Jadhran, the leaders of a group responsible for closing several oil ports in eastern Libya, have said that the interim government and the General National Congress (GNC) “must be brought down”.

Libya's crude exports are approaching 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) after western ports and fields reopened last week, but eastern terminals remain outside the control of the government.

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) says that routine maintenance works have begun in the Zawiya oil refinery, and will last up to 18 days.

Libya's oil crisis has taken a new twist, with claims that Naji Mukhtar, the chairman of the national assembly's energy committee, paid millions of Libyan dinars to a group that controls several key oil ports in the east of the country.

The head of the national assembly says an investigation will look into claims that the chairman of its energy committee "offered bribes" to resolve the oil crisis, allegations which he denies.

Libya is expected to export two shipments of crude oil later this week from the west of the country.

Prime Minister Ali Zeidan says the government is still "giving priority" to the crisis, but four oil terminals in eastern Libya remain closed.

Sirte Oil Company (SOC) says runway upgrade works at Marsa al-Brega are on course to be completed in October, and expects to award a contract for a new passenger building soon.

Libya's crude production had reportedly risen to 620,000 barrels per day (bpd) on 19 September thanks to fields reopening in western Libya, but still remains below half of normal levels.

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) says that output at the three fields resumed on 17 September, as the lifting of force majeure on two ports in western Libya raises the prospect of a recovery in exports.

The US-based energy giant, which purchased rights over significant offshore acreage in the mid-2000s, says the security and business environment has prompted a decision to cut back on its presence in Libya.

The state energy body says export operations restarted at noon at 17 September, but force majeure still remains in place over four other oil terminals.

The head of the national assembly's crisis committee says a deal has been struck to reopen the two oil fields in south-west Libya, but negotiations over ports in eastern Libya are still ongoing.

US-based Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) is reportedly planning to offload its Middle East oil operations, which include a stake in Libya's Zueitina Oil Company.