Tripoli (awp/afp) – The National Oil Company in Libya (NOC) announced on Monday the cessation of operations at two major oil sites, the Zouetina terminal and the al-Charara field, after the closure of several others facilities related to protests and political rivalries.
These blockages come at a time when Libya, which is struggling to turn the page of the years of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi overthrown in 2011, is in the grip of a serious institutional crisis, with two rival executives.
In February, the Parliament sitting in the east of the country indeed appointed Fathi Bachagha as the new head of government. But the latter has still not succeeded in ousting the executive in place in Tripoli led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah and who refuses to hand over power before the holding of elections.
Considered close to the eastern camp, the groups blocking the oil sites are demanding “a fair distribution” of income and the transfer of executive power to Mr. Bachagha.
In a statement, the NOC regretted “the beginning of a painful wave of closures” of oil installations, “while oil and gas prices are soaring” on international markets under the impact of the war in Ukraine.
After the “forced closure” of the al-Fil field (south) on Sunday, employees working at the facilities in Zouetina (east), Mellitah (northwest), al-Sarrir (east) and Al Khaleej (east) been “forced to completely and gradually stop production”, according to the company.
Production “on the fields of Abu Al-Tifl (east), al-Intissar (east), al-Nakhla (east)” also ceased on Sunday, as did gas production at factories affiliated with these sites and the port. of Zouetina, where “a group of individuals entered by force to force the employees to cease operations”, specified the NOC.
“Pressure”
In such a context, the NOC “is forced to declare a state of force majeure on the oil port of Zouetina” as well as on all the fields and factories associated with this port “until further notice”, declared the boss of the NOC, Mustafa Sanalla, quoted in the press release.
The “state of force majeure” exempts the NOC from liability in the event of non-compliance with oil delivery contracts.
The closure of Zouetina, one of the four oil terminals in the so-called “Oil Crescent” region (east), will deprive Libya of the export of nearly a quarter of its production.
A few hours later, the NOC announced that it was “forced to declare a state of force majeure until further notice on the al-Sharara field”, one of the country’s largest deposits located in the southwest from the country.
“A group of individuals pressured workers at the al-Sharara oilfield, forcing them to phase out production,” a NOC statement said.
Located about 900 km south of Tripoli, al-Sharara normally produces 315,000 barrels per day, out of a national production of more than 1.2 million barrels per day, against 1.5 to 1.6 million before 2011.
Main supplier of the Zaouia refinery (west), which in turn supplies the local fuel market, al-Charara is managed by the company Akakus, a joint venture between NOC, the Spanish Repsol, the French Total, the Austrian OMV and Norwegian Statoil.
The NOC has repeatedly stressed the importance of preserving the “neutrality” of the oil sector and keeping it away from “political conflicts”, Mr. Sanalla recalled in the press release.
Libya’s latest political crisis began to sprout after the indefinite postponement due to lingering differences between rival clans in the presidential and legislative elections originally scheduled for last December.
afp/rp