Libya starts the year on an uncertain note
A cancelled poll and strikes cast a shadow over the North African producer’s 2022 ambitions
Libya’s hopes of a happy new year have been hit by several late-December roadblocks, which threaten to further erode already shaky confidence among both existing and potential new international investors. Strikers from the Petroleum Facilities Guard, a government force, towards the end of last month shut down four west Libyan oilfields—Sharara, the country’s biggest field, El Feel, Hamada and Al-Wafa. State-owned NOC subsequently declared force majeure for two western oil terminals, Melittah and Zawiyah. The nearby Wafa gas field, Libya’s largest and a major supplier of volumes to the Greenstream pipeline to Italy, remains unaffected by the industrial action. The strikers say the shutdown
Also in this section
29 April 2026
The UAE’s exit from the alliance marks a decisive step towards a world in which oil markets are shaped less by collective management and more by national strategy
29 April 2026
Trafigura’s $1b prepayment agreement confirms African resource holders’ renewed interest in oil-backed financing deals as they look to capitalise on high oil prices
29 April 2026
The UAE’s departure from the oil producers’ group was a surprise to many, but the move can be traced back to a single point five years ago
28 April 2026
Oil traders warning of $200/bl oil are wrong, and the market should be wary of proclamations that the impact of the oil shortage has only begun to be felt and a that a ‘harsh adjustment’ is coming—even for industrialised nations






