Local protests have forced a full shutdown of production at Libya’s Sharara oil field, which can produce up to 300,000 barrels per day, two engineers told Reuters on Wednesday. A video circulating on the internet showed a number of local protesters from Fezzan region in southern Libya announcing the closure of the Sharara field until their demands are met. Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An engineer had earlier told Reuters a partial reduction in production had taken place and said that protesters were in front of the gate of the oil field. Libya’s oil output has been disrupted repeatedly in the chaotic decade since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.
