Libya: Protests result in two oil field closures
Sharara, the biggest oilfield in Libya, will shut down following pressure from activists.
Africa News reported that two oil fields were closing in Libya’s Ubari region, situated in the country’s southern part.
The shutdown came after immense pressure from demonstrators, demanding action on key issues such as the gas and petrol shortages as well as building a hospital given that the region lacks one.
Protesters are also calling for a refinery in Fezzan (a region in Libya) to be set up which would most likely tackle the issue of aforementioned petrol and gas shortages.
Abou Setta, the head of the rally in Fezzan, exclaimed, “This is the only card we have to put pressure on Tripoli to grant us our rights,”
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Engineers within the region noted that the Sharara oil field closed down on January 3 and the El-Feel field ceased its operations the following day.
Political experts on the country have noted that these mass demos highlighted the mass divisions in the country at present.
Since the downfall of Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, animosity has only deepened in the turmoil-stricken nation as two rival factions have been established in the east and west since, the UN-recognised government in Tripoli headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, who recently hinted at a resignation, and a Tobruk-backed administration under the leadership of warlord Khalifa Haftar.
It was reported in November 2023 that Libya’s crude oil production was 1,178.000 barrels per day, the fourth highest on the African continent.
It is expected that within 5 years, the North African country will produce 2 million barrels of oil a day.
Africa News/ The Libya Observer
