On Saturday, a number of Libyan engineers at the country’s oil ports of Es Sider and Zueitina said that oil production was normal despite the announcement by locals of the oil crescent region that they were blocking exports.
In a video message, the group announced the suspension of oil exports and work at the oil ports and companies located in Zuetina, Ras Lanuf, Sidra, and Brega fields until procedures are taken to remove Mustafa Sanalla, the Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC). They also called for the formation of a new board of directors, represented by residents of the oil crescent region and the basin regions based on the equitable distribution of sovereign positions.
Blockades of oil output or exports have frequently cut Libya’s normal production of about 1.3 million barrels per day, sometimes at specific fields or ports, but also more widely, according to Reuters.
This week, the Oil Minister of the interim government said he was suspending Sanalla, the latest step in a dispute over control of the energy sector. However, Sanalla rejected the move.