Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced on Tuesday a gradual reduction in production from the Sharara oil field due to force majeure caused by local protests.
Despite the reduction, production at the field reached 200,000 barrels on Tuesday, according to two field engineers. Sharara, one of Libya’s largest oil fields, has a capacity of about 300,000 barrels per day.
The field, located in southwestern Libya, is operated by a joint venture of the NOC with Spain’s Repsol, France’s TotalEnergies, Austria’s OMV, and Norway’s Equinor. It has been a frequent target of local protests.
The NOC attributed the reduction to “force majeure circumstances resulting from a sit-in by the Fezan movement.”
Sharara has faced multiple shutdowns due to protests, including one in January. Libya’s oil production has been disrupted frequently over the past decade, following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi and left the country divided.
