Explorers return to Libya despite fragile security
Peace means progress for Libya’s upstream, but disruption is never far away
Storm clouds are once again circling Libya’s energy sector amid renewed clashes between rival factions. It comes after a period of calm, with major energy companies having a tentative sense of confidence that may still be borne out. IOCs BP and Eni have lifted their decade-long force majeure on Libyan hydrocarbons development, clearing the way for major exploration projects. The two companies, along with Algerian state oil and gas producer Sonatrach, made the move on 3 August, according to Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC). NOC officials have been saying for months that security conditions have improved in Libya, with a ceasefire in its civil war agreed in 2020 largely holding. The conf
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






