Engineers at Libya’s Sarir, Mesla, and Nafoura oil fields have received instructions to resume production, according to a Reuters report citing engineers in the oil sector.
The order to restart operations was issued by the fields’ operator, Arabian Gulf Oil Company, which did not provide any reasons for the directive, as reported by the agency.
On Saturday, the Hariga oil port ceased operations due to a lack of crude supply following the near-complete shutdown of the Sarir oil field, which is the port’s main supplier. The Sarir field typically produces around 209,000 barrels per day.
In July, Libya’s overall oil output was approximately 1.18 million barrels per day.
On Friday, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that the recent closures of oil fields resulted in a loss of nearly 63% of Libya’s total oil production.
According to the statement, this poses a significant challenge to the national economy and directly affects the daily lives of Libyans. The NOC emphasised that the reasons behind the oil shutdowns are unrelated to the corporation itself.
The NOC stated that the oil sector is a vital pillar for Libya, representing workers from all regions, east, west, and south, symbolising national unity and serving as the backbone of the economy and future generations.
The current NOC board has taken on the role with a mission to unify, fully aware of the unfortunate divisions affecting the country. They are committed to navigating these challenges with wisdom, patience, and foresight.
The NOC highlighted that repeated shutdowns significantly harm oil production, deteriorate the sector’s infrastructure, and undermine efforts to increase output. Restarting halted fields will require substantial costs and complex technical efforts, adding further strain to the NOC and the national economy.
