Libya’s oil production has fallen to 230,000 barrels a day from 570,000 bpd due to the closure of the el-Sharara field following protests, state-owned National Oil Corp (NOC) said. “The country’s oil production has fallen to 230,000 bpd after the closure on Thursday evening of the oilfield at el-Sharara,” which has an output of 330,000 bpd, NOC spokesman Mohamed al-Harairi said on Sunday. Harairi added that the field had to shut down because “protest movements near the… wells no longer ensure the optimal security conditions,” without giving further details. It was repeatedly shut down by protesters as a way to pressure the weak central government into political and financial demands. Relaunch of production at el-Sharara in early January had pushed Libya’s output up to 570,000 bpd, when protesters in the area lifted their blockade of the site. It was considered as a […]