Libya's crude oil production has fallen below 300,000 barrels a
day after disgruntled tribesmen forced the largest oil field in
western Libya to halt production, state-owned National Oil Corp.
said Tuesday.
Workers at Sharara, which normally accounts for about 20% of
Libya's production, shut down the facility Sunday following threats
by desert nomads.
Oil Minister Adbel Bari el-Arousi and NOC head Nouri Berruien
visited the field Monday to meet workers in an attempt to resolve
the crisis, but returned to Tripoli "without reaching an
agreement," NOC said in a statement posted on its website.
"We came to clarify future plans set by the ministry for the
region's development and prosperity, but they refused to meet us
for reasons unrelated to the sector...Our production on this day is
less than 300,000 barrels a day due to the strikes," NOC said.
The production halt is the latest disruption to output in the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries member. Three
months of labor protests this year shut in the majority of the
country's crude production.
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Wall
Street Journal earlier Tuesday that the nomads' demands included
the granting of the Libyan nationality, which he said may have been
refused because some come from neighboring countries.
However, the official said production could soon restart. Unlike
disruptions in central Libya, he said the present stand-off is
likely to be resolved before long.
--Benoit Faucon in London contributed to this report.
Write to Summer Said at summer.said@wsj.com
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