Armed group shuts crude pipeline linking western Libya’s Hamada field to Zawiya refinery
- National Oil Corporation says pumping halted on Hamada-Zawiya line after forced closure caused sharp rise in operating pressure
By Lina Altawell
ISTANBUL (AA) - Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Friday that an armed group shut a valve on the main crude oil pipeline linking the western Hamada field to the Zawiya refinery, and it warned that a prolonged closure could result in the loss of 15,000 barrels per day.
The NOC said it received a report that an armed group had closed the main Hamada pipeline valve in the Riyayna area.
The 18-inch pipeline is one of the main lines supplying crude oil to the Zawiya refinery and connects the Hamada fields, as well as the Tahara field, to the refinery.
It said the sudden and forced closure caused a sharp increase in operating pressure, forcing technical teams to halt pumping through the pipeline at 12.30 am (1030GMT Thursday) to protect the line and production facilities.
As a result, crude oil supplies from the fields connected to the pipeline were suspended.
The NOC warned that if the closure continues, 15,000 barrels per day of crude destined for the Zawiya refinery would be lost.
The disruption also poses a direct threat to oil facilities and the continuity of crude supplies to the refinery, with potential repercussions for Libya’s economy, it added.
The NOC condemned the closure and urged relevant authorities, particularly the Petroleum Facilities Guard, to secure the pipeline, reopen the valve and allow pumping to resume as soon as possible.
It also urged authorities to protect oil installations and transportation lines from attacks that could threaten production stability and Libya’s oil resources.
The incident follows a similar closure on Oct. 22, when the NOC said armed men shut a valve on the Hamada-Zawiya crude pipeline, which carries oil produced from the Hamada and Tahara fields.
On Sept. 21, the corporation said armed members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard closed a crude oil valve at the Sharara field in southwestern Libya, causing a sharp decline in production at one of the country’s major oil fields.
The NOC later said the disruption at Sharara resulted in $95 million in losses.
Petroleum facility guards have long demanded higher monthly salaries amid similar protests by workers in several sectors in Libya.