Khalij Surt (32°00'N., 18°00'E.), an extensive gulf, is entered between Qasr Ahmad (Misurata Marina) and Banghazi,about 250 miles E. Several important oil terminals are situated on the shores of the gulf.

The prevailing winds in the gulf are from the NW and NE, and they often raise heavy swells which pound the shores of
the gulf. The ghibli, a hot and dry wind from the desert, blows from the S and SE into the gulf and often carries sand and dust. This wind blows more frequently in spring and autumn, and may last from a few hours to several days.
1.14 The prevailing current in the gulf sets SW, at a rate of 0.2 to 0.7 knot, depending on the wind force from the NW or NE. During the winter, the current sets SE during the NW wind; in summer, the current sets NW.

The current appears to form a clockwise gyre in the E part of Khalij Surt, and flows S and W along the E and S shores of the gulf. It turns N when E of Surt, where it again joins the main E flow along the Libyan coast to Egypt.

Location