Libyan oil companies have expressed their readiness to cooperate with their Chinese counterparts, to increase production and further develop the industry.
The remarks were made during a technical seminar held on Monday, in Tunis by China’s Greatwall Drilling Company (GWDC), a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, according to Xinua.
More than 20 oil companies from Libya, Tunisia, and South Sudan participated in the event.
“China has great achievements in the oil and gas sector,” said Abdulhadi Abugnima, workover superintendent at the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC).
Abugnima said the NOC is “eager to work with major oil companies to increase Libyan oil and gas production, and to also bring down operational costs by using new technologies.”
Ghaith Bashir Al-Firjani, Head of the Well Drilling and Maintenance Department of Libya’s Al-Waha Oil Company, said: “We seek to make sure that Chinese companies play a role in the Libyan oil sector, as this would create good competition in the sector.”
Muammar Abdussalam, drilling supervisor at Libya’s Mellitah Oil and Gas Company, said “I strongly recommend that GWDC return to work in Libya, so that we can benefit from its experience across Libyan oilfields.”
Oil and gas represent the primary source of Libya’s revenue. However, the sector has suffered over the past years from armed conflict, and numerous closures.
Notably, Libya’s Minister of Oil and Gas in Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU), Mohamed Aoun has recently expressed his hopes that “oil production will return to 2010 levels.”
Aoun noted that Libya produces about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.
He expressed his hope to raise production levels, and to return production to 2010 levels when Libya was producing 1.6 million barrels per day, “within two or three years.”