Libya Announces Resumption of Crude Oil Pumping from Al-Sharara Field After 5-Day Closure
Agencies2 min read
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The National Oil Corporation in Libya announced on Saturday the resumption of crude oil pumping from the Sharara field via the Sharara-Zawiya line, after reopening the valve that had been closed for five days.
This was stated in a statement by the Corporation, following the closure by protesters from the Oil Facilities Guard in the southwest of the country of a valve on the crude oil transfer line between the Sharara field (800 km south of the capital, Tripoli) and the Zawiya refinery (50 km west of Tripoli), specifically in the Hamada area (400 km south of the capital).
The Corporation said that "the joint efforts and endeavors made were successful in reopening Valve No. (7) on the main crude oil transfer line (Sharara-Zawiya), for the oil corporation to resume regular crude oil pumping operations and gradually return the flow to its normal rates".
It added that the technical teams have started "implementing the engineering arrangements and precautionary measures for safe restart and ensuring the stability of pumping operations towards the Zawiya refinery and export ports in accordance with the highest standards of safety and technical efficiency".
The Corporation expressed its thanks "to all parties, authorities, notables, wise men of the region, and oil cadres stationed at the sites who contributed to prioritizing the higher interest of the country and overcoming obstacles to address this crisis and reopen the valve".
Earlier on Saturday, the Corporation announced that the losses from the closure of the valve amounted to about $95 million over five days.
It also announced the forced shutdown of one of the refining units at the Zawiya refinery due to the continued forced closure of the valve.
Earlier, the United Nations Mission in the country considered that "attacks targeting Libya's oil and energy infrastructure or any acts that may undermine it may form a basis for imposing punitive measures under Security Council resolutions".
For some time, members of the Oil Facilities Guard have been demanding an increase in their monthly salaries, amid a wave of similar protests witnessed by several sectors in the country.
