Production at Libya's El Feel, Wafa Oilfields Resumes after Disruption, NOC Says

Libya's vital El Feel and Wafa oilfields are back online following a disruption caused by protesters who stormed and seized control of the Mellitah oil and gas complex. State oil firm National Oil Corporation (NOC) confirmed that operations resumed Tuesday after security forces successfully regained control of the facility.

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security forces regained control of the complex, a joint venture between NOC and Italy's Eni, and that gas supplies had resumed to power generation plants.

The Mellitah complex, a significant joint venture between NOC and Italy's Eni, is crucial for Libya's energy infrastructure. Under normal conditions, the El Feel field alone can produce between 80,000 and 90,000 barrels of oil per day. The offshore Sabratha platform also saw its operations restart.

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disruption at the oilfields was a result of protesters storming and closing the Mellitah complex in the early hours of Tuesday.

This incident highlights the ongoing vulnerability of Libya's oil production, which has been subject to frequent closures since the 2011 uprising. The protesters' actions led to a critical shortage of fuel and gas needed for power generation, pushing the country to the brink of widespread blackouts. The Libyan government reported that gas supplies to power plants have been restored, and the national electricity grid is gradually returning to normal.

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the closure had caused a severe shortage in fuel and gas supplies required to operate power plants, and a number of generation units went out of service, raising the risk of a blackout.