Hassan Al-Warfalli (Benghazi)
Yesterday, the Libyan Oil Corporation announced a “state of force majeure” on the Sharara field in the south of the country. Due to the closure of the field by protesters.
The corporation said, in a statement, “The closure of the field caused the cessation of crude oil supplies from it to the port of Zawiya (west), and negotiations are still ongoing in an attempt to resume production as soon as possible.”
The state of “force majeure” is a legal situation that exempts contracting parties from any obligations resulting from the failure of one of them to fulfill the terms of the concluded contract due to circumstances beyond his control.
On January 3, the Sharara field was closed. After the protesters entered it; In protest against what they say is a fuel shortage in areas in the south of the country, according to a source working in the field.
The source, who requested to remain anonymous, said, “The field management negotiated with the protesters, but the negotiation attempt failed, which forced it to close it completely,” local media reported.
The protesters demanded the activation of the decision to establish the South Refinery, the maintenance of dilapidated roads, the appointment of people from the South in oil companies, and addressing the fuel shortage in the South.
In addition, the Supreme Council of Fezzan Tribes and Cities announced its support for the sit-in at the Sharara field and called for the formation of a committee capable of dialogue and communication with the relevant authorities that wish to achieve the demands and rights of the people of Fezzan.
The Council demanded that the demands and rights of Fezzan be included in the reasons for the sit-in, including supporting the Southern Region Development Authority, establishing an investment portfolio for the south, according to what was stated in the statement of the Fezzan Call for Libya Conference, and meeting all necessary, service, and development needs.
The Council also called for speeding up the solution to the fuel problem by raising the share allocated to the Fezzan region and obligating the Brega Company to announce on its websites on a daily basis the quantities of fuel distributed to the region in full transparency.
The production rate of the Sharara field was 340 thousand barrels per day. It is located in the Murzuq desert (800 km south of the capital, Tripoli), and was discovered in 1980.
From time to time, the Oil Corporation declares a state of “force majeure” in one of the oil fields, often due to similar protest demands.
Over the past five years, severe conflicts in Libya have caused a significant decline in oil exports and delayed expansion plans that aim to raise oil production from 1,214,000 barrels per day to 2 million barrels per day.
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