Libya's National Oil Corp Investigating Near Air Collision

Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Wednesday it was investigating the near collision of an unidentified plane with a helicopter carrying staff from a sea platform.

The staff from Mellitah Oil and Gas, a joint venture between the NOC and Italy's Eni, were flying from the Sabratha marine platform to Tripoli when the aircraft converged, "almost ending in tragedy with a direct collision", NOC said in a statement.

It did not give the date of the incident, but said it had been notified by Mellitah on Dec. 31.

"Immediately after receiving the news, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) contacted all parties concerned to take urgent steps to investigate the incident and to do what is necessary to ensure that such grave violations are not repeated," NOC said.

Reporting by Aidan Lewis