Another “security breach” occurred early Monday at el-Sharara oil field, the Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation (NOC) said in a Monday statement .
“In the early hours of Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, an armed group attacked a member of the site’s civil guard, physically assaulting and restraining him, before stealing six air conditioning units,” according to the NOC statement.
Meanwhile, another group of criminals forced their way into the facility of Akakus Oil Operations at the oil field, breaking the gates at a catering warehouse and stealing vital goods.
The NOC expressed its grave concern over the security breach at Sharara oil field, which exposes “the ongoing security failures and the inability of forces assigned to protect this field.”
The NOC reiterated its call for “an immediate restructuring” of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) at the field to guarantee worker safety and the timely restart of operations.
“There are around 1,500 security personnel, mandated and tasked with the protection of Libya’s largest oil field, and yet these incidents continue to occur; basic responsibilities are not being fulfilled,” NOC Chairman Mostafa Sanalla commented on the two incidents.
“Restructuring our security provision has to be a top priority for everyone in order to prevent further damage to the Libyan economy and the future of our country,” Sanalla concluded.
A new security plan to secure Libya’s oil fields and institutions was announced by head of the Libyan Presidency Council Faiez Sarraj and Sanalla on Nov. 24.
During their meeting in Tripoli, Sarraj and Sanalla agreed on several new measures, including the restructuring of the Petroleum Facilities Guards and enhancing their training programs.
Sannalla discussed with Sarraj NOC’s suggested security plan for oil fields and vital institutions. He also suggested establishing “green- safe areas” inside Petroleum sites to prevent the entry of anyone without permit.
The suggested plan also includes changing Sharara oil field senior guards and banning
all unauthorized people from entering the field.
This came after the some PFG members closed the oil field on Dec. 8, demanding the official to provide the basic needs to the southern region.
