Libya Announced the Resumption of Oil Production at the Largest Fields
The Libyan Ministry of Oil and Gas announced the resumption of oil production at the country’s two largest fields – El-Fil and Ash-Sharara after they were unblocked by protesters, the agency said in a statement.
Earlier, the head of the Supreme Council of Al-Azvia Tribals, Sheikh Al-Senussi Al-Khalik, told RIA Novosti that the protesters in Libya, who had previously blocked work at the country’s two largest fields – El-Fil and Ash-Sharara, intend to leave the oil fields, since the former Minister of Finance of the Cabinet of Ministers in Tripoli was released.
“Oil operations and production have resumed at the Ash-Sharara field, which is operated by Akakus Oil Operations Company, and the El-Fil field, which is operated by the oil and gas company Mellitah, the production of which was suspended since yesterday,” the agency said.
On Thursday, protesters in Libya blocked the country’s two largest oilfields, El-Fil and Ash-Sharara. According to the protesters, who are mostly from the Al-Azwiya tribe, the reason for such a protest was the detention in the capital Tripoli of their tribesman, the former finance minister in the Government of National Accord (GNA) Faraj Bumtari.
On Saturday it became known that the ex-head of the Ministry of Finance of the PNS was released after the intervention of the country’s prosecutor general.
Earlier, the Minister of Oil and Gas of the Government of National Unity (GNU) of the country, Mohammed Aoun, said that Libya is losing about 340,000 barrels per day due to the closure of two oil fields by the tribes.
After the overthrow and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya ceased to function as a single state. In the past few years, there has been a confrontation between the authorities in Tripoli in the west of the country and the authorities in the east, which were supported by the Libyan National Army under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar. In 2021, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Geneva, under the auspices of the UN, elected a transitional executive before a general election, which has yet to be held.
There are currently two non-recognizing governments in Libya. The first, backed by the UN and led by Abdelhamid Dbeiba, operates in Tripoli. The second – vested with the powers of the House of Representatives – is based in Sirte, after the removal of Fathi Bashagi, it is temporarily led by Osama Hamad.
