The municipality of Jikharra has decided to reopen the oil fields in its area that have been shut since the beginning of November 2017.
According to a statement by the National Oil Corporation (NOC), the “unauthorized shut-down” of the As-Sarah fields in the NC-96 concession by operator Wintershall has resulted in the loss of 4,400,000 barrels of production at a cost to the Libyan economy of $281,479,385.
It added:
“The suspension of production by the company was done without the approval of the NOC as stipulated in the interim operating agreement between the parties.”
NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla said:
“The restart is a humiliating setback for the parallel structure and for its campaign to shut down Libyan production in the Wahat region and beyond.
“The Public Prosecutor will continue to investigate this crime. The perpetrators and others considering using the tactic should remember this is a very serious offence for which there is no statute of limitations.“
