TRIPOLI, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Monday that crude oil production at the Sharara oil field in southwestern Libya had fallen significantly after an armed group shut a main valve on the pipeline transporting crude to the Zawiya terminal.
The NOC said in a statement that the group closed valve No. 7 on Monday morning on a pipeline operated by Akakus Oil Operations Company, causing increased pressure in the pipeline and a sharp decline in production.
The corporation said it had contacted the Petroleum Facilities Guard in the southwestern region to secure the pipeline, but its appeals yielded no results. Its technical teams were also unable to reach valves No. 6 and 7 to address the problem.
The NOC warned that continued closure could completely halt production at the field, disrupt oil transportation and exports, and threaten operations at the Zawiya refinery, potentially increasing fuel import costs.
The corporation urged the relevant authorities to secure oil facilities and reopen the pipeline, warning that it "may be forced to declare force majeure" if the closure continues.
The Sharara oil field, located in the Murzuq Basin, is one of Libya's largest oil fields, with a normal production capacity of about 300,000 barrels per day.
