Tripoli – The National Oil Corporation announced that the ongoing forced closure of valve number seven on the main Sharara-Zawiya crude pipeline, operated by Akakus Oil Operations, has caused a drop in production at the Sharara oil field and increased losses of crude supplied to the Zawiya refinery.
The corporation reported that daily production losses at the Sharara field reached 129,085 barrels on Monday, September 21. The losses rose to 259,349 barrels on Tuesday, 235,983 barrels on Wednesday, and 237,937 barrels on Thursday.
Over four days of closure, total cumulative production losses amounted to 720,362 barrels of crude oil. The direct financial losses incurred by the corporation exceeded $75 million as of September 24.
The National Oil Corporation warned that continued closure could lead to further losses and a decline in crude reserves at the Zawiya refinery. This may halt refining units one after another and could disrupt fuel supplies, while increasing both technical and financial burdens.