Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Friday that security breaches in el-Sharara oil field are still continuing despite their calls to the government to implement emergency security measures at the oil field to end its “looting”.
In an official statement NOC said that the number of daily losses amounted to about 11.000 barrels per day even after the resumption of production.
NOC explained that the latest security breach represented in the theft of some electrical cables and equipments from the field. This breach was discovered during an inspection tour on Wednesday morning.
This breach, according to NOC will cause further decline in production capacity of the field, which is currently completely suspended, with about 3,225 barrels per day.
NOC called for emergency security measures to stop the “looting” inside the oil field. It was added that the oil field faced up to three similar incidents took place during the past week.
NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla said earlier in statement that they are very concerned regarding the security breaches inside Sharara oil field.
“We are very concerned these attacks are not simple robberies but are part of a systematic attempt to destroy the Sharara system. We call on all Libyans to stand against criminal acts that have a lasting and damaging effect on our economy, and urge immediate security reforms,” Sanalla said.
Sanalla expressed his concern over the continuous loot of the field by the Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG), who are supposedly deployed to protect the field.
In the early hours of Monday, an armed group attacked a member of the site’s civil guard, physically assaulting and restraining him, before stealing six air conditioning units.
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
To put an end to such criminal acts, 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.
