Protesters in the Fezzan region in southwestern Libya shut down the Sharara oil field on Saturday evening in response to deteriorating living conditions and their exclusion from government development programs.
Local media reports indicated that the protesters detained workers and security teams at the facility, which led to a temporary halt in production.
The current closure of the Sharara field, which produces about 315,000 barrels of oil per day, will result in significant economic losses estimated at a third of Libya’s daily oil production.
Since the beginning of this year, Libya has witnessed the closure of several oil fields as a result of protests and political crises. In January 2024, the Sharara and El Feel oil fields were closed by residents of the south in protest of fuel shortages and poor public services.
In February 2024, the Oil Facilities Guard closed all oil fields in the country in protest of the government’s disregard for their demands for increased salaries and improved administrative and financial conditions. In the same month, oil fields in the south of the country, including the El Feel and Sharara fields, were closed in protest of the kidnapping of former Finance Minister Faraj Boumtari.
Russia continues to support Libya… new aid to develop the health sector