The National Oil Corporation expresses its deep concern about being forced to reduce production in the national oil sector as a result of the inability to implement projects for the maintenance of reservoirs that were destroyed by wars, and the disruption of the implementation of some emergency projects, especially with regard to building reservoirs and maintaining what is available. It blamed the Audit Bureau, which obstructed the implementation of many projects related to reservoirs, as well as projects to increase production capacity.
In this regard, the Chairman of the Directors Board said : « Waha Oil Company was forced to reduce its production by about 100,000 barrels per day as a result of the lack of storage capacities due to the suspension of maritime traffic in the ports of the Gulf of Sidra and the inability to connect and ship tankers to avoid an increase in inventory and thus reduce production ».
Sanalla added : « The number of out-of-service tanks at the Sidra oil port is about 11 out of 19 tanks, and the limited availability of tanks has prevented our ability to continue with the available production rates, as well as leaks in the pipeline network and surface facilities between production tanks and shipping tanks ».
Meanwhile when the National Oil Corporation declares that the illegal restrictions imposed by the Audit Bureau prolonged the implementation time of projects in an economic and effective manner, which increased the fragility of the infrastructure and obstructed projects to increase production capacity, it confirms that the opinion of the law administration regarding the restrictions imposed by the Audit Bureau was clear that the contracts of the oil companies affiliated with the National Oil Corporation are subject to prior review.
In this context, Sanalla said : « The mistakes of the Audit Bureau’s representative are fatal, but they will not discourage our resolve in the oil sector to continue efforts to bypass these restrictions that bind the National Oil Corporation and its subsidiaries and besiege the renaissance and development of the national economy, and we continue to carry out our responsibilities ».
It is mentioned that all shipping operations stopped in most of the oil ports in the Gulf of Sidra due to bad weather, high waves and the suspension of maritime navigation. It was possible to continue production and not resort to reducing it, but the fragility of the infrastructure in the oil sector prevented the continuation of production at the available rates.