The National Oil Corporation (NOC) is committed to resuming production at el-Sharara oilfield after ensuring the safety of its workers, the NOC told Reuters on Tuesday.
The NOC said if this condition is fulfilled, the force majeure will be lifted from the field, and workers will be asked to return.
On Monday, forces loyal to the east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) took over the field. But NOC, affiliated to the Tripoli-based government led by Faiez Sarraj, said in a statement it has not been officially informed by any party that Sharara, Libya’s largest oilfield, has been secured.
The oilfield, capable of producing 315,000 barrels per day, has been closed since state guards, tribesmen, and self-proclaimed Fezzan Anger Movement, seized it in December in demand of basic services in the southern region.
The LNA launched a military operation in the south last month, announcing it would fight militants and secure oilfields.
Oil production in Libya, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, has been disrupted since conflicts broke out in 2011, with protesters and armed groups often targeting oilfields and energy infrastructure.
