The long awaited restart of the Sharara fields in late December boosted Libya’s oil production to 685,000 b/d at the beginning of January, according to a spokesperson for the country’s state oil company, National Oil Corporation (NOC). Output averaged around 600,000 b/d in December, rising to 622,000 b/d on 26 December, according to NOC. The state operator plans to increase production by 175,000 b/d within a month, and by 270,000 b/d in the coming quarter. On 4 January output was close to 700,000 b/d, according to numerous reports citing NOC sources.
NOC confirmed the re-opening of the Sharara and El-Feel fields in the Murzuk basin in southwest Libya in a statement on 20 December. Crude loadings from the fields had initially been due to resume on 15 December (MEES, 16 December 2016). (CONTINUED - 1063 WORDS)
