Ras Lanuf

Ras Lanouf was part of the Greek Pentapolis colonies. The traditional western boundary of the Pentapolis lay at Arae Philaenorum. Some historians claim it is 40 km west of El Agheila, while others place Arae Philaenorum near Ra's Lanuf,Müller, Geogr (l.c.) and the modern Italian commemorative arch featuring the Philaeni stood here before its destruction in 1973.{{cite journal|title=Boreum of Cyrenaica|first=R. G.|last=Goodchild|date=1 January 1951|journal=The Journal of Roman Studies|volume=41|pages=11–16|doi=10.2307/298094|jstor=298094}}

On 3 April 1941 there was a British war communiqué that in the North Africa Campaign in World War II in the night of 1 April 1941 Allied bomber aircraft heavily attacked German/Italian motor transport at Ra's Lanuf and destroyed many vehicles.Daily Telegraph 4 April 1941 quoted in Daily Telegraph 4 April 2011 page 28.

Beginning in 1984, a major urban development program for Ra's Lanuf was initiated by the Brega and Ras Lanuf Higher Committee to accommodate employees of the nearby oil industries, and envisaged for 40,000 inhabitants. The general design of the town layout was to be linear, following the coast and allowing extensive views and easy physical connection with the sea from all parts of town.

The town's structure was based on a functional hierarchy, containing three centers forming public zones with community facilities extending to the Mediterranean coast; these were in turn surrounded by high-rise housing blocks. A pedestrian route links different public, commercial, and recreational facilities to residential areas. The project was carried out by Devecon Engineers and Architects.{{cite web |url=http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=587 |title=Ras Lanuf Town |publisher=ArchNet Library |access-date=2011-02-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525052024/http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=587 |archive-date=2011-05-25 }}

{{Main|Battle of Ra's Lanuf}}

On 4 March 2011 after heavy fighting, anti-Gaddafi Libyan rebels captured Ra's Lanuf.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/libya-port-idUSLDE72320420110304 |title=Libyan rebels take oil town of Ras Lanuf – rebels |website=Reuters |date= 2011-03-04|access-date=2011-03-27 |first=Mohammed |last=Abbas}} The rebel advance was halted in the Battle of Bin Jawad and a counter-offensive by government forces opened the second phase of the Battle of Ra's Lanuf. After heavy bombardment from air, land, and sea, the government forces retook the city on 10 March.{{cite web |title=Rebel forces retreat from Ras Lanuf |date=10 March 2011 |access-date=10 March 2011 |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/201131041228856242.html |work=Al Jazeera}} On 27 March rebels retook control of Ra's Lanuf as part of a rapid advance as 24 hours earlier they had retaken the strategic towns of Brega and Ajdabiya,{{cite news|first=Ben|last=Brown |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12873434 |title=Rebels take Ras Lanuf, Brega, Uqayla, Bin Jawad |work=BBC World News |date=27 March 2011|access-date=27 March 2011}} but within a matter of days rebel forces retreated from the city once more in the face of a new government counter-offensive. On 23 August, rebels recaptured Ra's Lanuf from government loyalists and continued their advance towards Bin Jawad and Sirte.{{cite news|agency=Reuters|title=Rebels take Ras Lanuf oil port|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-254750-rebels-take-ras-lanuf-oil-port.html|newspaper=Today's Zaman|location=Istanbul, Turkey|date=23 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824200228/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-254750-rebels-take-ras-lanuf-oil-port.html|archive-date=24 August 2011|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|author=|title=Libya conflict: Nato jets hit Gaddafi Sirte bunker|date=26 August 2011|newspaper=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-africa-14677754}} However, sporadic fighting continued in Ra's Lanuf into September.{{Cite news|author=|title=Libya's new leader calls for civil state|date=13 September 2011|newspaper=Al Jazeera|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/09/2011912214219388500.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110190919/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/09/2011912214219388500.html|archive-date=10 November 2011|url-status=live}}

Under the Ottoman Empire, Ra's Lanuf was part of Tripolitania under Italy after 1934, then occupied by the British as again part of Tripolitania. In 1983 it became part of the Bin Jawad District. Since 1987, it has been under the Sirte District.

Ra's Lanuf is an import center for the petrochemical industry. The Ra's Lanuf Refinery has a capacity of {{convert|220000|oilbbl/d}}. It is a part of larger petrochemical complex consisting of an ethylene plant, a polyethylene plant, plant utilities, and the Port of Ra's Lanuf. The Port of Ra's Lanuf consists of a small harbor, operated by the Veba Oil Company and RASCO. Its primary activities include loading crude oil and oil products. It has a maximum draft of 22 meters and is about {{convert|385|km}} west of the Benina International Airport.{{cite web|url=http://www.amtcmar.com/en/ports.htm|title=amtcmar.com}}

Ra's Lanuf is the terminus of the {{convert|251|km|mi|abbr=on}} Defa-Ra's Lanuf oil pipeline and the {{convert|427|km|mi|abbr=on}} Majid-Nafora-Amal-Ra's Lanuf oil pipeline.{{cite web|url=http://www.theodora.com/pipelines/north_africa_oil_gas_products_pipelines_map.html |title=North Africa Pipelines map - Crude Oil (petroleum) pipelines - Natural Gas pipelines - Products pipelines |publisher=Theodora.com/pipelines |access-date=2011-04-05}}

Ra's Lanuf has two airports: Ra's Lanuf Oil (Code:HLNF) and Matratin (Code:FR3803).

Ra's Lanuf is to be a station on the new national railway system of Libya. In addition it is to be a construction base for the section to be built by Russian engineers, with a port for the delivery of supplies. The port will be connected to the base by a {{convert|7.5|km}} branch line.

• Sidra ({{convert|13.1|nmi|km|abbr=on}} west)
• Bin Jawad ({{convert|20.0|nmi|km|abbr=on}} west)
• El Agheila ({{convert|36.0|nmi|km|abbr=on}} east)
• Qaryat Bishr ({{convert|36.1|nmi|km|abbr=on}} east)
• Brega ({{convert|42.8|nmi|km|abbr=on}} east)
• Zella ({{convert|128.7|nmi|km|abbr=on}} south)
• Marada ({{convert|84.1|nmi|km|abbr=on}} south)

• List of cities in Libya

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070914003540/http://gpco.gov.ly/home.php GPCO Website]
• [http://www.mof.gov.ly اللجنة الشعبية العامة للمالية (= General People's Committee of Finance)]
• [http://www.fita.org/countries/cadre_92.html Libya: Country Profile]
• http://www.RasLanuf.com

{{Sirte}}

{{Libyan Oil-ports}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|30|35|12|N|18|24|43|E|type:city_region:LY-SR|display=title|format=dms}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ras Lanuf}}

Category:Port cities and towns in Libya

Category:Gulf of Sidra

Category:Populated places in Sirte District

Category:Populated coastal places in Libya

Category:Tripolitania

Category:Ports and harbors of Libya