After Nigeria, Libya has invited Indian oil firms to operate its old refineries after investing in their revamp and has offered New Delhi rights to explore oil in the country.
Tripoli wants India's state-run oil firms to upgrade its 220,000 barrels per day Ras Lanuf and 8,400 barrels per day Brega refineries.
The offer came when an Indian delegation led by M S Srinivasan, additional secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, visited Libya earlier this month for talks on cooperation in hydrocarbon sector, industry sources said.
Libya offered equity in Ras Lanuf refinery to Indian companies besides inviting them to participate in bidding for rights to explore 6-8 fields in the oil rich country.
Tripoli also wants India to help build a new 20,000 barrels per day refinery in Sebha, which would process crude from the nearby Murzuq field, and a 200,000 barrels per day export refinery in Misurata.
While Indian Oil Corporation will look at the proposal for revamping the refineries which had been hit hard by the UN sanctions that banned the country from importing refinery equipment, ONGC Videsh Ltd will be looking at the oil blocks on offer.
Sources said New Delhi wanted Libya to give at least two more oil blocks on nomination basis. OVL already has 40 per cent stake in two exploration blocks, NC-188 and NC-189, in Libya.
Nigeria has already invited IOC to build a refinery and the flagship firm is also pursuing refinery upgradation projects in Sudan and Indonesia.
