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Bloomberg
Libya’s crude production rebounded to more than 700,000 barrels a day as OPEC member’s biggest oil field and another deposit in its western region resumed pumping after a halt.
The Sharara field is currently producing 216,400 barrels a day, while the El Feel, or Elephant, deposit is pumping 26,500 and is expected to boost output further, Jadalla Alaokali, a board member at the National Oil Corp., said by phone. Crude from Sharara started flowing to the Zawiya refinery after the port of Zawiya re-opened last week following a three-week closure. El Feel, idled since April 2015, also restarted last week.
Clashes between armed groups and closures of fields have disrupted output as the country with Africa’s largest crude reserves struggles to revive its most important industry. Fighting in early March led to the closing of two of Libya’s main oil terminals, forcing a number of fields to stop pumping.
The pipeline carrying Sharara crude to the Zawiya refinery was blocked in early April just one week after it reopened, halting production at the field. Sharara is operated by a joint venture between the NOC and Repsol SA, Total SA, OMV AG and Statoil ASA. It has a capacity of 330,000 barrels a day and was pumping 200,000, NOC said on April 4.