Benghazi (Libya), April 25:The top oil official for rebels fighting Muammar Gaddafi says they won’t be able to produce more crude for at least another four weeks.
Wahid Bughaigis says it will require at least that much time to repair equipment needed to pump oil from two key fields in the rebel-controlled east, Messla and Sarir.
He said yesterday that rebels have cut electricity production by 25 percent in their de facto capital, Benghazi, to conserve fuel and money.
The Gulf state of Qatar helped rebels complete the sale of 1 million barrels of crude earlier this month that netted roughly USD 129 million for the anti-Gadhafi forces.
But Bughaigis said he believes the rebels have already spent much of that money on things like imported fuel.
-Agencies