Libya’s oil output recovers after resuming work at Al-Sharara oilfield

Al-Sharara, Libya’s largest oil field, has resumed production after workers had closed the 270,000-bpd field on Wednesday, protesting over the lack of medical treatment for a co-worker who had died in an accident in a swimming pool at the field.

According to a statement by Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), Sharara resumed production which is expected to return to its usual output within three days.

The workers’ protest closed Al-Sharara production on Wednesday, and before the strike, Libya was producing 827,000 bpd, the highest level since October 2014.

The resumption of Sharara production followed an emergency meeting on Thursday between NOC’s board of directors and the company operating Sharara, Akakus Oil Operations Company, in which NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla ordered the company to verify the ambulance services conditions and upgrade the medical services for employees.

At that meeting, Sanalla said that he sympathized with the workers, but “the critical financial position of the State and NOC’s commitments towards shipping contracts enforce the resumption of production.”