TRIPOLI, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Libyan Navy has prevented a Malta-flagged oil tanker from docking and loading crude at the port of es-Sider in eastern Libya which has been seized by protesters, state-run National Oil Corp (NOC) said on Monday.
"It tried entering es-Sider port in cooperation with an illegal group to load and smuggle crude oil," NOC said in a statement.
A group seeking autonomy for eastern Libya seized the port and two others last year to demand a greater share of Libya's oil wealth. It has repeatedly said it might sell crude on its own, bypassing the central government.
(Reporting by Ulf Laessing, Ghaith Shennib and Patrick Markey; editing by Jason Neely)
((ulf.laessing@thomsonreuters.com)(Tripoli newsroom)(Reuters Messaging: ulf.laessing.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: LIBYA OIL/
