Opened in 1986, it is located in Eastern Libya near the Egyptian border - about 450 km (280 mi) east of Benghazi.

[3] Tobruk was formerly the historic settlement of Antipyrgos, offering a major harbor for the Hellenic states.

[4] During the Italo-Turkish War in 1911, Tobruk was the landing point for 35,000 Italian soldiers under the command of Carlo Canvey [it].

Starting in April 1941 and ending in November 1941, German general Erwin Rommel surrounded the port besieging the troops resulting in the Siege of Tobruk.

[8] As a result of the Libyan Civil War, the port was temporarily closed due to clashes between protestors and government forces and reopened on 28 February 2011 for oil exports.