As Libyan rebels continue to hunt for Muammar el-Qaddafi, the future of Libya hangs in the balance. But so does the future of Libyan oil.
Although a victory by rebel forces would remove an oppressive regime, it would simultaneously remove a unifying principle from the highly tribal coalition of rebel forces, and would potentially endanger what in 2010 made up 92 percent of the nation’s government revenues: oil and gas.
“The early days of transition could go well--or not,” said Kevin Book, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners, a Washington-based policy-analysis firm. “If they go poorly, oil infrastructure could be harmed.”