The leak began on Tuesday and was reported to the operating company, Libyan Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) on Wednesday. AGOCO is owned by the Libyan National Oil Company (NOC). In February, the eastern-backed parliament in Tobruk named Fathi Bashagha as the new prime minister, while his rival, incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, has refused to step down. Earlier this month, Bashaga attempted to resume the role of prime minister in the capital, Tripoli, but was forced out after clashes between his militia security forces and those of Dbeibah. Last week, prior to the desert leak, Libyan Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun told Argus that the country’s output was now around 750,000 barrels per day, representing a 40% decline from the first quarter of this year.

Source: Libya Today June 01, 2022 16:28 UTC