The National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Libya announced on Wednesday that it had declared a state of force majeure at the Sharara oil field, effective August 7.

Last Saturday evening, local protesters from the Fezzan region closed the Sharara oil field in southwestern Libya in protest against the deteriorating living conditions and their exclusion from development plans implemented by the executive authorities. The closure of the field had not been fully confirmed at the time.

 The Sharara oil field is one of Libya’s largest oil production areas, with a capacity of about 300,000 barrels per day, and has been repeatedly targeted for various political reasons and demands from local protesters.

Residents of Libya’s southern cities, rich in oil resources, complain of poor public services and shortages of necessities like fuel and gas, as well as a lack of development projects.

Due to the closure of the Sharara oil field, Libya is expected to lose about a third of its daily oil production, resulting in significant financial losses, as this field produces 315,000 barrels per day.