The chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mr. Mustafa Sanalla, opened on Monday, 21 February 2022, the “Al-Tahara” oil field, in the presence of the board of directors of the NOC, Mr. Abulgasem Shengeer, the chairman of the Management Committee of the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, Mr. Salah Al Gatrani, the company members of the management Committee and a number of general managers and managers of departments from the NOC and company.
The “Al-Tahara” oil field which located in the “NC4” concession area operated by Arabian Gulf Oil Company currently produces 2,500 barrels per day and is expected to reach 40,000 barrels once budgets are in place for the oil sector.
In a speech on this occasion, Mr. Sanalla thanked all the employees of Arabian Gulf Oil Company and the SGS company which implemented the project and its contractors for their patience and waiting for not having enough budgets to complete it, as well as the protection force that secured the implementation of the project.
Mr. Sanalla explained that this project is very ambitious, and that the NOC gave the permission to the company in October 2020 to use the fast track of development in the absence of sufficient budgets for full development.
Speaking of budgets, Mr. Sanalla explained that the budget allocated to the oil sector last year represents only 11%, and that the deficit reached 89% of the budget, adding that the oil sector has been suffering from budget scarcity for several years, and that the year 2021 was the worst par excellence, stressing that despite all these challenges, oil production continued with great difficulty.
Mr. Sanalla pointed out that in order to continue and increase oil production, the NOC has made promises to contractors carrying out its projects to pay their dues, and that the workers in the sector have been patient in monetizing their salaries in a timely manner and not to fully liquefy field allowances for ‘bureaucratic’ reasons that the board of the NOC totally rejects.
In the same vein, Sanalla said: “We cannot equate our workers in areas far from families and cities, in their various locations from the far southeast to the far southwest, the sea areas and ports,” he said, adding that Libyan law guarantees them their right to allowances.
Sanalla added :”The salary increase has been adopted in most sectors in Libya except for the oil sector, where its employees have not been given the increases they deserve despite the NOC’s continued demands and numerous correspondence for more than nine years to improve the salaries of its employees, but to no avail.
Sanalla also said :” Without Allah and the determination of the oil workers, it would not be possible to provide any income to the state, 98% of the Libya’s income comes from the oil sector, yet most of its employees do not receive their full salaries”. He called on state officials to respect oil workers and speed up the liquefaction of budgets for the sector.
He explained that the 2013 decision to increase the salaries of oil workers by 67% has not been implemented since its issuance and is still locked in drawers without implementation despite the permanent establishment’s claims.
Sanalla also added:”The “Al-Hamda” area located in “Ghadames basin” is one of the most promising areas because it contains huge oil and gas stocks”, adding that the hopes in this area are very large despite geological complications.
On November 11, 2021, the NOC submitted an integrated proposal to develop some undeveloped discoveries, specifically the “Al-Hamada” area.
(NC5-NC7-NC8-NC147-NC101-NC 210-NC151), but it hasn’t received any response until now.
