TRIPOLI: Libya’s national oil firm announced Saturday that an oil pipeline blocked for several days by an armed group had reopened, ending a disruption it said had cost $95 million.
The pipeline links the Al-Sharara oilfield in southwest Libya to the Zawiya export terminal on the Mediterranean coast.
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a statement that valve number seven had been reopened, allowing crude pumping through the pipeline to resume.
The pipeline is operated by Akakus, a joint venture between the NOC, Spain’s Repsol, France’s TotalEnergies, Austria’s OMV and Norway’s Equinor.
An armed group and members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard closed the valve on September 21, sharply reducing output at Sharara, Libya’s largest oilfield. The disruption was linked to demands by Guard personnel over their status and funding.
Blockades of oil and gas facilities have been common in Libya in recent years, driven by social grievances, security threats or political disputes.
