Libya’s Sharara Oil Field Returns Above 300,000 bpd
Libya’s Sharara oil field is producing more than 300,000 barrels per day, according to National Oil Corporation (NOC) Chairman Masoud Suleiman, marking a strong recovery after a recent disruption on the field’s export pipeline.
Sharara, operated by Akakus Oil Operations, is Libya’s largest oil field and has the capacity to produce around 340,000 barrels per day. Production fell sharply last week after an armed group closed Valve No. 7 on the Sharara-Zawiya pipeline, restricting crude flows toward the Zawiya terminal.
The NOC said the closure cut Sharara output by around 130,000 bpd and warned that a prolonged shutdown could eventually halt production and exports. It also raised the possibility of declaring force majeure if the disruption continued.
Sharara Reaches Another Production Milestone
The latest figure puts the field back above the 300,000-bpd mark, close to its operating capacity. The NOC and Akakus had already reported strong performance earlier this year, with Sharara reaching approximately 335,000 bpd in August. They have also outlined plans to raise production to around 355,000 bpd by mid-2027.
The recovery matters beyond Sharara itself. The field feeds the western Libyan export system through the Zawiya pipeline, linking production in the Murzuq Basin with one of the country’s key refining and oil infrastructure hubs.
Production Recovery Highlights Libya’s Oil Potential
Sharara’s return above 300,000 bpd highlights the production potential of Libya’s existing oil infrastructure. It also shows how quickly disruptions at a single pipeline valve can affect national output and threaten export revenues.
For Libya, the challenge is therefore not only increasing production capacity. Protecting pipelines, maintaining infrastructure and keeping oil facilities insulated from local disputes remain critical to turning higher production into more reliable revenue.
The latest recovery comes only days after the NOC reported significant losses from the pipeline shutdown, including an estimated 720,000 barrels of lost output.
With Sharara now producing above 300,000 bpd, attention will turn to whether the field can sustain these levels and whether Libya can keep its wider oil production system protected from further disruptions.
