Militant conflict to constrain Libya's oil resurgence
The oil recovery will continue, if the civil war and political spats allow it
Two men hold the key to whether Libya's oil recovery continues through 2019, or crashes amid worsening civil war. The first of them is Mustafa Sanallah, chief of the National Oil Corporation (NOC). Left to his own devices, Sanallah will oversee further gains in production that has jumped five-fold in two years. His deft political footwork will continue to navigate a path between the country's two warring governments, in Tripoli and Tobruk. Oil production, currently 1.3mn bl/d will inch upwards to the 1.6mn b/d mark it enjoyed prior to the 2011 revolution. Next year will also see the return of exploration, abandoned in the revolution, with Italy's Eni partnering BP in sinking rigs into giant
Also in this section
23 January 2026
A strategic pivot away from Russian crude in recent weeks tees up the possibility of improved US-India trade relations
23 January 2026
The signing of a deal with a TotalEnergies-led consortium to explore for gas in a block adjoining Israel’s maritime area may breathe new life into the country’s gas ambitions
22 January 2026
As Saudi Arabia pushes mining as a new pillar of its economy, Saudi Aramco is positioning itself at the intersection of hydrocarbons, minerals and industrial policy
22 January 2026
New long-term deal is latest addition to country’s rapidly evolving supply portfolio as it eyes role as regional gas hub
