- Guards unlawfully closed a main pipeline valve, causing a sudden pressure surge and halting production at Hamada, Tahara and Station NC5.
- National Oil Corporation warned it may declare force majeure and called on state authorities to resolve the crisis and remove underlying causes.
- Petroleum Facilities Guard often stages shutdowns over wages; it has not commented on this incident amid Libya's ongoing political division and instability.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation said on Tuesday that oil production at three fields has been halted after guards unlawfully shut a valve on a main crude oil pipeline.
The NOC did not say why the security personnel closed the valve but said it would declare force majeure if it remained shut or if similar incidents occurred at other fields.
“This action caused a sudden pressure surge at the Tahara field connection point, resulting in a complete halt to production and operations at the Hamada field (NC8), Tahara field (NC4), and Station NC5,” the NOC said.
“Shutting down oil fields and halting production at this critical juncture as the world experiences a surge in crude oil prices deals a devastating blow to the national economy,” it added.
The Petroleum Facilities Guard, the company in charge of securing the country’s oilfields and pipelines, has often called for shutdowns or blockades in protest over wages and workers’ issues.
But it has yet to issue a comment on this particular incident.
The NOC called on “state authorities to fully assume their responsibilities by taking action to resolve this crisis and eliminate its underlying causes”.
Libya has the most abundant oil reserves in Africa but has been beset by violence and instability since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
It remains divided between the UN-recognised government in the capital Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and the rival administration in the east backed by military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
