Libyan oil industry post-2011

Libya's oil production was disrupted for much of 2011 due to conflict but, according the US-based Energy Information Administration, the sector began to recover relatively rapidly following the cessation of most hostilities by autumn of that year. The fighting shut down much of the industry, as a result of security issues at desert oil fields and the abandonment of oil rigs due to the international-imposed no fly zone. But once the conflict ended output reached 840,000 bpd (half its pre-war level) by December 2011.

However Deputy Oil Minister Omar Shakmak highlighted delays experienced over 2012, partly down to disruptions as a result of protests and partly due to the slow return of oil services firms to the country. In the run-up to general elections held in Libya on the 7 July 2012, political protests caused significant disruption to oil infrastructure in Libya. Export terminals were shut down, which shut in half of Libya's export capacity, and production was cut by 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) as a result of blockages. In April 2012 the headquarters of Libya's largest oil firm in eastern Benghazi were closed off by protesters.

However output reached 1.56 million barrels per day (bpd) by July 2012 after three major exporting terminals (Es Sider, Ras Lanuf and Brega were restarted. In November 2012 Libya's oil production reached 1.6 million bpd, reaching pre-war levels a year after the end of the civil war that shut in output. However Nuri Berruien, chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said that the country was looking to expand capacity going forward and was targeting levels of 2 million bpd and 5 billion cubic feet (bcf) "in the short term."

=References=