Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) has lifted force majeure on the El-Feel oilfield, the company said on Monday, with all oilfields and ports now being opened after an eight-month blockade by eastern forces.
The restarting of the last of the major oilfields follows a ceasefire in the civil war. Monday’s move marks “the end of closures at all Libyan oilfields and ports,” the Tripoli-based NOC said. The company expects its total oil output to reach 800,000 barrels per day within two weeks, and one million bpd within a month.
On Friday, NOC lifted force majeure on exports from the ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf. After a similar move last week at Sharara, Libya’s biggest oilfield, the first tanker in eight months docked at al-Zawiya port on Sunday. Es Sider’s first tanker is expected to dock on Tuesday.
Eastern militia and militant groups imposed the blockade in January. Oil facilities began to reopen in September, when the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by commander Khalifa Haftar, reopened talks with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
These two warring parties signed a permanent truce agreement on Friday, and acting UN Libya envoy Stephanie Williams said all foreign fighters must leave Libya within three months.
After force majeure was lifted from the eastern Es Sider and Ras Lanuf ports, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Saturday the decision was a result of the confidence-building measures implemented through the Joint Military Commission, a joint body that agreed the truce at the Geneva talks. “It’s a win-win for the Libyan people,” the mission said.
Libya, which has Africa’s largest oil reserves, was exempted from supply cuts agreed by the OPEC+ alliance of major producers due to the conflict in the country.
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