Amilitia affiliated to the internationally recognized Libyan government based in the eastern coastal town of Baida, has raised the stakes in the contest between the country’s rival administrations over oil income by shutting down one of the oil export terminals under its control. The move, against the Zueitina terminal in the northeast, has further hit Libya’s fragile crude exports, reducing output by up to 70,000 b/d, to around 350,000 b/d.
Libya pumped an average 410,000 b/d in October, according to MEES estimates (see p11), up about 50,000 b/d compared to the previous month. According to the chairman of Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sannallah, crude production reached about 440,000 b/d in mid-October. The rival NOC set up by the officially recognized government in eastern Libya estimated that by early November production had dropped to 350,000 b/d. Output is well down on early 2015 when it reached about 550,000 b/d (MEES, 3 April), and is significantly less than in October 2014, when production was 860,000 b/d. (CONTINUED - 1832 WORDS)
