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Production resumes at Libya gas plant overrun by protesters
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia /Energy & Infrastructure

Production resumes at Libya gas plant overrun by protesters

From Asharq Al-Awsat · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Gas production has resumed at Libya's Mellitah complex after government forces regained control from protesters.
  • Protesters had occupied the complex to demonstrate against recent power cuts.
  • The Mellitah complex is a key facility producing gas for export to Italy and for local power plants.

Gas production has resumed at the Mellitah complex in western Libya after government forces secured the facility from protesters angered by recent power outages. The state oil company, National Oil Corporation (NOC), announced the resumption of operations and the return to normal activities.

authorized the resumption of gas production and the return to normal operations

— National Oil Corporation (NOC)Announcing the restart of operations at the Mellitah complex after it was secured.

Production also restarted at the oil fields and the offshore platform supplying the complex. The Mellitah Oil and Gas consortium, operated by NOC in partnership with Italy's ENI, welcomed the development. The complex is crucial, producing eight billion cubic meters of gas annually for export to Italy and five billion cubic meters for Libya's power plants.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) had ordered the army to retake control of the Mellitah gas complex and reopen pipelines after protesters forced their way inside on Monday night. Protesters, frustrated by frequent and prolonged power cuts, had halted operations, threatening a general collapse of the power grid.

Several groups of people entered the Mellitah complex to shut off the gas valves supplying power plants, which threatens to put several plants out of service and increases the likelihood of a general collapse of the power grid.

— GECOL (electricity company)Describing the immediate threat posed by the protesters' actions to the power supply.

Earlier, an anonymous official at the complex reported that negotiations were underway to persuade the protesters to allow operations to resume, highlighting the high risk their presence posed to the facility. Overnight, protests against power cuts and the high cost of living saw young people dump rubbish in front of oil and gas company headquarters in Tripoli, chanting slogans against the regime.

talks were underway to persuade the protesters to allow operations to resume

— official at the complexIndicating ongoing efforts to resolve the situation peacefully.

Libya, despite possessing Africa's most abundant oil reserves, has been politically divided since the 2011 ouster of Moammar al-Gaddafi. Recent days have seen hundreds of residents in the Tripoli area demonstrate against power supply interruptions.

The people want the fall of the regime

— protestersChanted during a protest against power cuts and the cost of living.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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