On Tuesday, Libya’s Messla oil field, south of Tobruk, resumed production with a daily output of 10,000 barrels. This is to be used for local consumption rather than export, two sources at the field claimed on Tuesday.
Most Libyan oil production has been shut down since January, due to a blockade on exports by the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by Field Marshal, Khalifa Haftar. The National Oil Corporation was not available for comment.
On Monday, Sheikh Al-Senussi Al-Heliq Al-Zawi, the Deputy Chairman of the ‘Supreme Council of Libyan Sheikhs and Elders’ offered to end the blockade of the country’s oil production, as part of a political settlement. It is believed to have cost Libya over $6 billion in lost revenue, since January.
In a statement, Al-Senussi stated that they have “reopened the oil ports”, and given a “mandate” to the LNA, to negotiate a restart in production. He said they hope Haftar can “find solutions to ensure oil revenue does not land in the hands of terrorist militias,” referring to forces allied with the rival Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
Ahmed Al-Mismari, the spokesman for the LNA, said they “welcome any popular mandate to protect oil installations”. The announcement came as Libya’s National Oil Corporation expressed hope that oilfields would start pumping again, as foreign powers negotiate with the GNA, over the distribution of oil revenues in the divided country. The talks quietly got underway weeks ago, the Corporation said, and was supervised by the United Nations, and the United States.