US lawmakers tell Kadhafi of interest in gas, oil

TRIPOLI  A delegation of US lawmakers told Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi that US firms were keen to work in the North African country, particularly in gas, oil and infrastructure projects, Libyan news agency JANA said on Thursday.

Led by Republican Congressman John Boehner, the lawmakers met Kadhafi on Wednesday and stressed to him "the desire of American firms to contribute actively in realising development projects, notably in the areas of gas, oil and infrastructure," JANA said.

It added that the visitors also "saluted the efforts of the Guide of the Libyan revolution in consolidating peace and stability in the world," and affirmed their "commitment to develop friendly and cooperative relations" with Libya.

Diplomatic relations between Washington and Tripoli were broken in 1981 but restored in 2004 after Kadhafi announced that Libya had renounced efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

Relations were normalised last year with the exchange of ambassadors and with Libya being removed from the US list of states supporting terrorism.

Libya offered gas exploration contracts to foreign firms for the first time in December and US fuel giant Occidental Petroleum was among those granted permission to test for gas.

OPEC member Libya has natural gas reserves estimated at 1,314 billion cubic metres and is the African continent's second largest oil producer at 1.7 million barrels per day.



