Libya’s upstream promise still hamstrung by instability
But the troubled north African nation is not short of international investment interest
Soon after Libyan oil minister Mohamed Oun spoke to Petroleum Economist in late September, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) signed a memorandum of understanding with Norway’s Equinor with the stated aim “to study and evaluate the oil and gas potential in the Libyan maritime region”. The deal was signed in Tripoli and included provisions to train young Libyans for the oil and gas sector. Equinor has been active in Libya for decades and holds non-operating stakes in the Murzuq Basin and the Mabruk field, where production was suspended following a 2015 militant attack. The Norwegian firm also stated that “more recently, our engagement in lifting and marketing Libyan crude oil has become a
Also in this section
7 November 2025
The Russian company’s German assets are under Berlin’s management and are exempt from sanctions, for now, but a permanent solution still needs to be found
6 November 2025
The Russian firm made a significant attempt to expand overseas over the past two decades but is now divesting its global operations
6 November 2025
After years of pursuing ideologically driven climate leadership, Western powers are now stepping back under mounting political pressure and rising populist opposition—prompting concern essential climate action could be sidelined
5 November 2025
Construction of the pipeline in Afghanistan is making tangible progress, but extending it into Pakistan and India remains unrealistic for political reasons






