Libya Warns of Oil Shutdown as Attacks Escalate

Source: Bloomberg

16/02/2015

Libya’s state-run oil company warned that it would shut production at all fields if authorities in the divided nation fail to contain an escalation of attacks on facilities that cut crude output to a year-low.

“If these incidents continue, National Oil Corp. will regrettably be forced to stop all operations at all fields in order to preserve the lives” of employees, the company said in a statement on its website. “National Oil Corp. urges the Ministry of Defense and the Petroleum Facilities Guard to take the appropriate measures to protect oil sites.”

The North African nation’s oil production was reduced by 180,000 barrels a day after a fire at a pipeline that carries crude to the eastern Hariga port, National Oil spokesman Mohamed Elharari said by phone in Tripoli. Hariga, near Tobruk, has oil left in storage for exports and the last ship to load there was the Greek-flagged Minerva Zoe, he said.

Libya, holder of Africa’s largest oil reserves, was producing 350,000 barrels a day in January, Elharari said at the time. The nation may be producing less than 200,000 barrels a day after the pipeline fire. The previous lowest daily average was in March 2014, at 150,000 barrels. A member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Libya was producing 1.6 million barrels a day before the 2011 rebellion that ended Muammar Qaddafi’s 42-year rule.

Read more: http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/libya-warns-of-oil-shutdown-as-attacks-escalate/

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Dome Of Fire: Libya’s Largest Oil Field Sabotaged, Company Releases Footage

Published time: February 15, 2015 20:22

Libya’s Waha Oil Company has posted a video on its Facebook page showing the fire that raged through El Sarir oil field and halted oil flows to the Hariga port, in what is believed to be an act of sabotage.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=747848168645639

No group has so far claimed responsibility for Saturday’s fire.

Oil terminal supervisor Rajab Abdulrasoul told Reuters that the El Sarir pipeline was hit at around 5 a.m. local time, and resulted in a fire that shut off flow to the port.

The El Sarir blast and subsequent fire comes in the wake of Friday’s attacks on the nearby Makruk and Bahi oil fields. Gunmen assaulted the Bahi oil field on Friday, while the neighboring Mabruk oil field was also stormed that day.

more...

http://rt.com/news/232575-waha-oil-company-fire/