Group loyal to Tripoli government shuts down largest Libyan oil field

An armed group loyal to the Libyan unity government in Tripoli has closed the largest oil field in the country, calling for the government to release colleagues kidnapped in the capital, Anadolu reported on Monday. A threat to close the field was made on 24 September in response to the kidnap of at least two citizens from the south of Libya.

Brigade 30’s mission is to guard Al-Sharara Oil Field. A statement from the group explained that it closed the installation after receiving no response from the government in Tripoli to its “repeated requests” regarding the kidnap victims. The group said that it had requested the government to implement development projects in the south, ensure that the banks have cash and send vital machinery to medical facilities in the region. It added that the people guarding the oil fields should be included on the government payroll.

Since the start of this year, Libya has been striving to increase exports of its crude oil in order to cover the demands of the local market for oil and foreign currency. In July, it succeeded in crossing the threshold of a million barrels a day for the first time since 2013.

Read: Militants shutdown three oilfields in Libya

Al-Sharara Oil Field used to produce 340,000 barrels a day. The field, which is located 800km south of Tripoli, was discovered in 1980 and is owned and operated by a Spanish company.

Libya has faced political and security instability since the ousting of Muamar Gaddafi in 2011. This has had a negative effect on oil production and the infrastructure of the country.