Libyan oil exports tumble on port closures Libyan oil exports have declined after protests and strikes shut down several of the country's export terminals, though it was unclear exactly how many of the country's terminals had been affected. Abdelbari Al-Arusi, the Libyan oil minister, told reporters late on Wednesday that exports had fallen to 330,000 barrels a day after security forces meant to be protecting ports closed several down. Last year Libya's net petroleum exports were 1.3m b/d, according to US government data. Mr Al-Arusi said of the country's six major export terminals that only Zawiya in the west of the country remained open. But on Thursday a shipping broker told the FT two ports, Marsa el-Brega and Marsa el-Hariga, remained open. Two traders said the situation at both of those ports was unclear. Energy Aspects, a consultancy, said export volumes would be reduced from a potential 1.2m b/d to just over 200,000 b/d if five ports were closed, and to 500,000 b/d if Brega and Hariga remained open. In either scenario, government revenues would be hit hard. Petroleum exports accounted for 73 per cent of Libya's 2012 gross domestic product, or just over $60bn, according to data from Opec, the oil producers" cartel. Strikes and militia activity had already pushed Libyan production to its lowest level since 2011 when the country's oil industry was effectively shut down during a civil war, according to International Energy Agency data for June. Zueitina, an export terminal in the west of Libya, has effectively been shut since the start of July, according to Energy Aspects. In the east of the country the ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were reported closed on Monday. A Libyan official said oil production would have to be slowed if ports remain closed. "If disruption continues, it will affect production for sure because storage capacity is limited," Samir Kamal, Libya's governor for Opec, told the FT. Marathon Oil said some production at the 330,000 b/d Waha fields in the east of the country, where it holds a stake, had already been shut in. "A protest by Libyan security forces at the Es Sider Terminal has reduced oil production at its Waha Concessions," John Porretto, a spokesman said, although he was unable to say how much production had fallen. Oil prices rose, although strong economic data from Europe and China contributed to the strength. ICE Brent September was up almost 2 per cent to a two-week high of $109.45 a barrel. Brent, the global benchmark, has climbed 7 per cent this quarter on supply concerns. In addition to the supply disruptions in Libya, oil theft has reduced Nigerian production, and about 500,000 b/d of Iraqi production is expected to be offline in September due to maintenance. Libya has 25m barrels of crude storage - enough to hold more than 16 days of production - but it is not known how much has returned to operation since the country's civil war. Much storage capacity sits within port terminals so may be offline. Three other international oil companies with big stakes in Libyan oilfields - ENI of Italy, Repsol of Spain and Hess of the US - declined to comment. Occidental Petroleum did not immediately respond to comment. Additional reporting by Gregory Meyer and Heba Saleh