MOSCOW, July 21 (RIA Novosti) - Oil exports from the largest Libyan oil field Sharara starting again on Monday, July 21 is a sign of the country’s oil industry revival, Wall Street Journal reported Monday, quoting a spokesperson of the Libyan state company National Oil Corp (NOC).
According to a different source familiar with the situation, quoted by the Wall Street Journal, the first oil tanker will be delivered to the Spanish company Repsol, which is NOC’s partner in oil field development.
Total volume of oil production in Libya is now approximately 500,000 barrels per day, which is 100,000 barrels less than a five year maximum reached on July 16. According to the NOC representative, the decrease is related to the closure of the eastern port of Brega. Oil fields that shipped their products through Brega suspended their work.
Early July acting Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah Thani announced the end of the “oil crisis” in the country and said the authorities had regained control over the two ports.
In April, the Libyan government made an agreement with the rebels to unblock four oil terminals. Two of them, Zueitina and Hariga, came under government control shortly after.
Libya’s oil industry has been disrupted by clashes between various armed groups that disagree with the governmental policy, and has lost at least $14 billion over the past nine months due to port blockades.
