Orders issued for Sarir, Messla, and Nafoura oilfields to resume production

Engineers from Libya’s Sarir, Messla, and Nafoura oilfields told Reuters on Saturday August 31, that they had received orders to resume production. This development marks a significant shift following a prolonged standoff between rival political factions that had led to the closure of most of the country’s oilfields.

The resumption of operations was directed by the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, the operator of the fields. However, the company did not provide any specific reasons for the decision, as reported by the engineers.

Earlier in the day, operations at the Libyan oil export port of Hariga were halted due to a shortage of crude supplies. This shortage followed the near-total shutdown of the Sarir oilfield, which is a primary supplier to the port. Engineers at Hariga indicated that the disruption in crude supply had forced the port to cease its operations.

The Sarir oilfield, which typically produces around 209,000 barrels per day (bpd), had been a major contributor to Libya’s oil output. In July, Libya’s total oil production was approximately 1.18 million bpd.

On Friday, the National Oil Corporation of Libya reported that the recent closures of oilfields had resulted in a significant production loss, amounting to roughly 63% of the country’s total oil output.
This dramatic reduction underscores the impact of the ongoing political and operational challenges facing Libya’s oil sector.