Libya’s NOC confirms restart of production at Sharara, Elephant fields

Production at Sharara and El-Feel (Elephant) oil fields has resumed, Libya's National Oil Corp. (NOC) confirmed in separate releases.

Production at Sharara south of Libya resumed following negotiations by NOC to reopen the Hamada valve, the company confirmed in a release June 7.

The valve, which NOC said was illegally closed in January, resulted in the shutdown of production and collapse of the 16,000-bbl Surge Tank D101 B in area GOSP115 at the field after an armed militia prevented NOC teams from carrying out maintenance operations.

The first production phase at Sharara will start at a capacity of 30,000 b/d with a return to full capacity of 300,000 b/d within 90 days.

Oil production at Elephant field in the Murzuk basin 800 km south of Tripoli resumed June 7, the company said in a June 8 statement. NOC confirmed the lifting of force majeure on crude oil exports from both fields as of June 7 and June 8, respectively. The first production phase at Elephant field will start at 12,000 b/d. Full capacity at the field, estimated at 70,000 b/d, is expected to return within 14 days.

NOC chairman, Eng. Mustafa Sanalla, said the company will begin crude oil export operations as soon as possible and that crude oil is now reaching the 120,000-b/d Zawiya refinery, which will resume operations to produce fuels for domestic use.

The refinery was shut down Feb. 8 as a result of the valve closure in the Hamada region, on the main pipeline between Sharara field and the refinery.

Monthly, the Zawiya refinery produces 120,000 metric tons of diesel, 49,000 metric tons of gasoline, 120,000 metric tons of fuel oil, 6,000 metric tons of LPG, and 90,000 metric tons of jet fuel.