Libya Oil Output Holds Near 1.4 Million Bpd Despite Field Shutdowns
Libya's oil production remains around 1.4 million barrels per day despite protests that shut down several fields, the NOC chairman says.
Libya's oil production has remained largely steady at approximately 1.4 million barrels per day, even as protests forced the suspension of operations at several oilfields, National Oil Corporation Chairman Massoud Suleman said.
The disruption began when members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard, the force tasked with protecting the country's oil infrastructure, closed a valve on the main Hamada-Zawiya crude-loading pipeline. The closure brought production to a complete halt at the Hamada, Tahara and NC5 fields, according to the NOC.
The state oil company warned it could declare force majeure — a legal clause that excuses contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond its control — if the valve stays shut or if other fields face similar forced stoppages.
In a statement, the Petroleum Facilities Guard demanded that its agency be moved "financially and administratively under the National Oil Corporation." It urged the prime ministry and the NOC to take urgent steps to finalise the administrative and financial arrangements and to set a clear timeline for implementation. The Guard currently operates under the defence ministry.
The force said it would carry out a partial production cut for one week starting Tuesday at several fields, including Wafa, Al-Khamsa and El Feel, and warned that a full shutdown would follow if its demands were not met.
Suleman said the NOC is in contact with Guard officials and noted that production at the Sharara oilfield is continuing normally.
Oil output is the backbone of Libya's economy, accounting for roughly 90% of the country's economic activity. The NOC described the field closures as a severe blow at a time of rising global crude prices.
"Shutting down oil fields and halting production operations at this critical juncture — as the world witnesses a rise in crude oil prices — constitutes a devastating blow to the national economy," the NOC said in a statement.
Libya's oil production has been repeatedly disrupted by closures for political and technical reasons since the 2011 uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi.