In this post Dr Eoghan Darbyshire uses satellite imagery to examine claims made by the Libyan National Oil Corporation than an offshore oil spill has been controlled. What he finds underscores the importance of independent scrutiny of the oil industry in insecure and conflict settings.
Using satellite imagery, Eoghan Darbyshire identifies recurring oil spills from Derna power and desalination plant in Libya, examining their threat they pose to its biodiverse coastline and the wider context of the country’s decaying infrastructure.
Contrary to other armed groups in Libya, the strategy behind the Islamic State’s attacks on oil facilities this week is not purely military. It is also part of a wider strategy calling for the disruption of the oil industry, not only to affect opposing regimes but also western society and the global economy.
