Libya’s Waha Oil Company has successfully restored a suspended oil well to operational readiness after eight years, in a technical operation expected to add around 480 barrels per day to the company’s production.
The achievement was completed by the company’s Drilling and Workover Department as part of efforts to rehabilitate inactive wells, increase output and improve the use of existing oil assets.
The well had been out of service since January 2018 after its electric submersible pump (ESP) failed and became stuck underground. The incident also resulted in the loss of 101 production tubing sections, an ESP unit and about 3,250 feet of flat power cable.
In June 2026, Waha Oil Company began a complex fishing operation using the Fayyad Barqen No. 9 rig, in cooperation with Al-Doroub Company. The operation involved significant technical challenges and required specialised engineering solutions and detailed work plans.
Technical teams eventually succeeded in recovering all the equipment trapped inside the well, including the electric submersible pump, before completing the rehabilitation work and returning the well to operational readiness.
The company said the project was supported by its management committee, which provided technical and logistical resources and backed decisions aimed at accelerating the recovery of suspended wells and supporting production targets.
Waha Oil Company also highlighted the coordination between its Drilling and Workover Department, the drilling office at the Waha field and its technical and field teams. The company said the operation demonstrated professional expertise, teamwork and adherence to safety and quality standards.
The well’s return to production is expected to contribute approximately 480 barrels of oil per day, supporting higher output and improving the efficiency of existing assets.
The company said the project forms part of a wider programme to rehabilitate suspended wells by using Libyan technical expertise and advanced capabilities, with the aim of sustaining production and maximising returns from Libya’s oil fields.