According to Libyan rebels, they have signed a deal with Qatar to market the crude oil produced from fields in the east of the country which have now been wrested back from pro-Gaddafi forces.

Ali Tarhouni, a rebel official in charge of finance, economic and oil matters claimed that the first shipment would be going out next week, and output from rebel-held oilfields was running at 100,000 - 130,000 bpd of oil and could be increased to 300,000 bpd.

Libya was a major supplier of oil and gas to Europe but since the rebellion against Colonel Gaddafi started production has plummeted, as oil workers abandoned their post at refineries and control of some refineries has switched back and forth between the two sides.