Armed group shuts pipeline from Libya’s largest oil field, jeopardising exports
A valve closure on the El Sharara-to-Zawiya pipeline has cut production at a field accounting for roughly a third of Libya’s total output, prompting the national oil company to warn it may declare force majeure. An unnamed armed group shut a valve on a pipeline from Libya’s largest oil field, causing a drop in production, ...
An armed group has closed a valve on the El Sharara-to-Zawiya pipeline, disrupting production at Libya's largest oil field and threatening exports. The National Oil Corporation (NOC) warned of the possibility of declaring force majeure, a provision allowing suppliers to suspend contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond their control.
The closure affects production from the El Sharara field, which accounts for roughly a third of Libya's total output and is a key source of crude for Libya, an OPEC member with Africa's largest proven oil reserves. The NOC stated that the pressure buildup within the crude oil pipeline caused a significant reduction in production at the El Sharara field.
If the shutdown persists, the Zawiya refinery, located about 45 kilometres west of Tripoli, could be forced to shut down. Despite Libya's vast energy wealth, the country has faced violence and instability since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It is divided between the UN-recognised government in Tripoli and the rival administration in the east.
The El Sharara field, operated by a joint venture of the NOC alongside Spanish, French, Austrian, and Norwegian firms, produces approximately 350,000 barrels per day at full capacity, representing roughly a third of Libya's total output. The field was shut for two years between 2014 and 2016 due to a pipeline blockade by armed groups and has experienced repeated stoppages since Gaddafi's overthrow.
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