The National Oil Corporation confirmed the declaration of force majeure, after the expiry of 72 hours and the loss of more than 16 billion Libyan dinars.
In this regard, Sanalla commented: “Our patience has run out after we have repeatedly tried to avoid declaring a state of force majeure. However, the implementation of our obligations has become impossible. We are compelled to declare a state of force majeure on the ports of Sidra and Ras Lanuf in addition to Al-Feel field as the force majeure situation continues in Brega and Zueitina ports.”
The Corporation added that according to this announcement, it became impossible to feed the power stations of Zuetina, North Benghazi, and Al-Sarir, with their needs of natural gas, as the production of crude oil is linked to gas from the fields of Waha and Mellitah companies, which led to the disruption of the supply of the coast line with natural gas.
Sanalla added: “Today, more than ever, we are faced with stressful challenges represented in our inability to cover the needs of vital facilities in the country with fuel. The exchange of crude oil from the available production with liquid fuel is at stake as a result of the sharp decline in production, as well as the disruption of feeding the account of fuel in hard currency because of the refusal of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance to liquidate the allocations in US dollars. It is not surprising that the crisis will escalate in the summer season unless oil production is resumed or the current deficit in fuel account is addressed.”
In response to some of his statements, Sanalla said: “We expected the Oil Minister, Aoun, to be the government’s keeper, bearing its weight and helping it with his opinion, but unfortunately he lives in a state of denial of reality. Sometimes he goes out to the media to mislead public opinion and says that stopping oil production does not constitute a loss, and at other times he tries to single out the government and we don’t really know why it manipulates facts, distorts events, denies constants and lives in the narrowness of his obsessions.”
The Corporation also explained to all citizens and the executive and legislative authorities in the country that the losses resulting from the closures exceeded 16 billion Libyan dinars to date, the production has decreased and declined sharply, as daily exports ranged between 365 to 409 thousand barrels per day, with a decrease of 865,000 barrels per day from production rates under normal conditions. The National Oil Corporation and its subsidiaries continue to carry out their duties and responsibilities, but we are obliged under this statement to bear the full responsibility to the parties causing the crisis.”