Libya’s oil output on verge of demise as eastern Hariga port continues to its blockade

Fields responsible for the bulk of Libya’s oil exports will be forced to halt production within a month unless a blockade is lifted on the port of Marsa el-Hariga, according to the Tripoli-based National Oil Corp.

“In less than four weeks we will have to shut production completely because the tanks at Hariga will be full,” Mohamed Harari, a spokesman for NOC, said in an e-mailed statement late on Monday. “The blockade will cause serious harm and bring no benefits.”

Factions controlling the east of the North African nation said April 30 that they wouldn’t allow any tankers to depart Hariga without their approval. The move came after the region’s bid to sell a crude cargo independently of the NOC in Tripoli was stymied as the United Nations blacklisted the shipment. Output from the nation has slumped about 80 percent since the 2011 ouster of dictator Muammar Al Qaddafi as different groups compete for control of oil facilities.

Oil officials in eastern Libya said Monday that they have no plans to block shipments from Hariga. No tankers have left the port since April 28, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The tanker Seachance is still moored off eastern Libya after being prevented from exporting 1 million barrels of crude from the terminal, the data show.