Armed groups in Libya have blockaded pipelines and shut three oilfields, the state’s oil producer said today.
About 360,000 barrels per day of production has been shut in, costing the North African country $160million in oil sales.
State-run National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in an online statement that it would continue to supply the Zawiya refinery via sea to keep the plant producing while the Sharara, El Feel and Hamada oilfields remained closed.
The country’s major ports have also been opened.
NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla said: “This is a national tragedy – our production was recovering, not enough to balance the budget, but it was enough to give us hope the financial situation could stabilize. Now we are sliding backwards.”
An armed brigade, claiming to be part of The Petroleum Facilities Guard – the semi-official group protecting oilfields – closed a pipeline to Sharara oilfield last week and demanded more resources for the brigade’s home region of Zintan in western Libya.
The shutdown comes at a frustrating time for Libya, which had only just managed to reopen several oilfields after negotiations between the NOC and tribal leaders.