Libya has started to gradually re-operate the country’s huge Sharara oilfield following a four month blockade, according to Reuters. 

Daily production at Sharara oilfield is in excess of 300,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) but at present production is running at around 20,000 bbl/d. Storage tanks are currently being filled which is expected to take up to three days to complete.  

A valve that had been closed on the pipeline running from Sharara to the northern port of Zawiya as part of the blockade was reopened on June 5.

Sharara is operated by Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) in a joint venture with Spain’s Repsol, France’s Total, Austria’s OMV and Norway’s Equinor. The NOC declared force majeure on loadings from the field in January.

There is no update on El Feel oilfield’s operations, which is in the same vicinity of the Sharara. El Feel’s production totalled  70,000 bbl/d prior to the closure and is jointly operated by the NOC and Italy’s Eni.