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The illegal oil blockade blights the life of every Libyan citizen
11 September 2020 — The National Oil Corporation (NOC) is continuing to make every effort to deliver fuel to all regions of Libya and to power plants right across the country.
It is doing so in the face of continued closure of oil refineries and the collapse of its budgets to record low levels. Expensive fuel has had to be imported to compensate for production losses resulting from shutdown of local refineries and this has led to an historic financial deficit.
Illegal blockade of NOC’s oil facilities has wrecked the Libyan economy blighting lives and inflicting misery on every Libyan, with the country’s refineries out of action and no oil production for eight consecutive months. Without the regular operation of local refineries or production of gas from the Faregh and Abu Attifel fields, NOC is limited in what it can do to close the gap in supply. Production of gas used for power generation has also ground to a halt, forcing NOC to import diesel to supply power plants, further depleting already low cash reserves.
All this has been perpetrated in the midst of a global coronavirus pandemic without any regard for the Libyan people.
Thanks to the discharging of condensate tanks in the port of Brega, NOC has been able to continue producing some 160 million cubic feet of gas per day. Yet, this amount is insufficient to cover the daily consumption needs of the North of Benghazi and Zueitina plants which demand up to 250 million cubic feet of gas per day. Such an isolated measure has not and will not resolve the problem of load shedding/power cuts which can only cease once production is resumed.
Outlaw groups in the East and the West are profiteering at the expense of the Libyan people smuggling diesel fuel across land and sea. The law enforcement agencies authorities need to police the borders and smugglers must be brought to justice. NOC is providing all the information it can to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and is in close touch with various concerned international bodies.
NOC chairman, Eng. Mustafa Sanalla commented: “We, at NOC, stand with our brothers and sisters in all parts of Libya in the face of their unprecedented suffering. We profoundly regret that there are parties which place their own narrow sectional interests and those of foreign countries above the interests of the Libyan people. However, as you would expect, NOC will continue to do everything within its power to alleviate the sufferings of our countrymen and women.
“To that end, I am pleased to confirm the arrival of the tanker, VALLE DI CORDOBA, today, Friday, at Benghazi, carrying a shipment of 36 million litres of diesel fuel. This shipment is one of a number being diverted from the port of Misurata to supply power plants and fuel distribution stations across all regions.
“Nonetheless, without a lifting of the illegal blockade, the current crisis cannot be resolved. NOC efforts alone cannot avoid an even more crushing crisis this winter, a season of the year during which diesel consumption traditionally doubles”.
God Bless Libya
11 Sep 2020
Tripoli