NOC chairman receives EU ambassador to Libya
National Oil Corporation (NOC) chairman, Eng. Mustafa Sanalla, received His Excellency Alan Bugeja, EU ambassador to Libya, and an accompanying delegation on Sunday June 28, 2020 at NOC’s Tripoli headquarters.
During the meeting, the two parties discussed the current events affecting the Libyan oil sector, particularly the illegal blockades on oil facilities and fields and their repercussions on the country’s economy, which depends entirely on oil and gas production and exports. The meeting also discussed the entry of foreign mercenaries into the Sharara oilfield on the evening of Thursday June 25, 2020.
Eng. Sanalla commented: “We strongly condemn the presence of foreign mercenaries at our sites. NOC’s board of directors completely rejects this blatant encroachment on oil facilities by outlaw armed groups- whether foreign mercenaries or Libyan armed groups- who are getting paid to prevent NOC from carrying out its essential duties, particularly the maintenance of equipment affected by the forced closure of oil facilities that has lasted 162 days. Many oil producing countries are benefiting from the ongoing oil blockade and are taking advantage of the absence of the Libyan oil from global markets”.
“We have much to do before the resumption of oil production at previous levels. This blockade has caused significant damages to surface facilities and resulted in leaks in the pipes transporting crude oil in several oil fields and sites belonging to NOC subsidiaries. The recent leak occurred at the Sharara oilfield. Those who forced the shutdown of oil production have caused heavy losses to the Libyan state by squandering sales opportunities estimated at billions at a time when Libya needs them most”, he added.
For his part, Mr Bugeja reiterated the European Union’s support to the NOC in its ongoing efforts to restart production as soon as possible, for the benefit of the Libyan people.
At the end of the meeting, Eng. Sanalla and Mr Bugeja reaffirmed the continued cooperation between the NOC and the EU in order to promote the oil sector in Libya and ensure a rapid recovery of the Libyan economy.