Libyan oil production has slipped to around 670,000 b/d as the impact of the closure of the major Sharara oil field continues to hit the country's output, although traders said Monday they understood the field could resume operations imminently.
State-owned NOC was forced to shut the Zawiya oil export terminal and refinery at the start of last week due to intense fighting in the vicinity.
This had a knock-on effect on the 340,000 b/d capacity Sharara field, which supplies the crude for both the port and the refinery.
"Sharara remains closed, bringing down production to 670,000 b/d," a spokesman for NOC said over the weekend.
Traders said there had been no news on the status of Sharara over the weekend.
"There are some rumours this morning that Sharara may be resuming, but we're still waiting to hear from NOC," one said.
The Zawiya export terminal, whose capacity is 230,000 b/d, has not loaded a cargo since the NS Colombus a week ago, according to Platts vessel tracking software cFlow.
Libyan oil production and exports have staged a quick recovery since mid-August when the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf export terminals were returned to state control.
But intense fighting close to Tripoli forced state-owned NOC to shut the key oil infrastructure.
Libya has continued to descend into political chaos in recent weeks.
Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani and the internationally recognized parliament, elected in June, are in virtual domestic exile in the far eastern city of Tobruk because of widespread insecurity, including in the capital, where a rival administration has been set up.
