TRIPOLI, July 28 – Libya’s oil sector suffered another operational setback on Tuesday after protesters disrupted activities at the Mellitah oil and gas complex, forcing the suspension of crude production at the El Feel oilfield and partially affecting operations at the Wafa oilfield.
The disruption prompted the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to warn of growing risks to both the country’s energy supply and electricity network. The Mellitah complex, operated through a joint venture between the NOC and Italy’s Eni, manages the El Feel field, which typically produces between 80,000 and 90,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
In a statement, the NOC said it was “following with deep concern the serious developments resulting from the storming and closure of the complex,” adding that the incident had significantly disrupted operations.
Libya’s Government of National Unity later announced that security forces had regained control of the facility and restored gas supplies to electricity generation plants after securing the site.
Despite that development, the NOC said the temporary shutdown had already created severe shortages of fuel and natural gas needed to operate power stations, leading to the shutdown of several electricity generation units.
The corporation warned that “The continuation of this situation would increase the risk of instability in the public electricity grid and could lead to more generation units going offline, thereby raising the likelihood of a widespread blackout, or potentially a total grid collapse.”
Libya’s oil industry has experienced frequent disruptions since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi, with political tensions, protests and security incidents repeatedly affecting production and exports.
The latest disruption underscores the continuing fragility of Libya’s energy infrastructure and highlights the broader economic risks associated with interruptions to crude production and domestic power generation in one of Africa’s largest oil-producing nations.
