The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) has declared force majeure on Sharara oilfield, citing the shutdown of the field by local protesters.
The Libyan NOC said in a statement that the force majeure measures went into effect on Sunday (January 07) and would go on until the shutdown is lifted.
Protesters from the local residents of Ubari – southwestern Libya – shut down Sharara oilfield, one of the largest and most important fields in the oil-revenue-reliant country.
In a video statement on Tuesday, the protesters said they would not reopen the field until their demands and those of the entire region of Fezzan – south Libya – were answered, blaming the National Oil Corporation for the consequences of the abrupt closure.
In the meantime, a spokesman for the Fezzan Gathering Association, Abu Bakr Abu Shreya, told Libya Al-Ahrar TV that the shutdown at Sharara oilfield was prompted by the lack of action regarding their demands for development and better services in south Libya by the Government of National Unity and the government designated by the House of Representatives in eastern Libya.
Sharara oilfield, one of Libya’s largest production areas with a capacity of about 300,000 barrels per day, has been a frequent target for several political reasons and demands by local protesters.
