Libya: Fire breaks out at Sarir oilfield, causing 30.000 bpd loss

BY Libyan Express Jun 11, 2019 - 19:53 Updated: Jun 11, 2019 - 20:00

NOC says fire broke out at Sarir oilfield. [Photo: NOC]

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Tuesday a fire broke out early on June 9, 2019, at compound 1 at the Sarir oilfield due to the high temperature experienced in an electric generator, thereby resulting in a production loss of approximately 30,000 barrels per day (bpd).

The field, located in the Sirte basin, and operated by NOC subsidiary Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) is Libya’s largest oilfield with proven reserves of 4.8 billion barrels (Gbbl).

“The fire started at the field’s power station, cutting off electricity supply to compound 1. An internal investigation is underway to determine the cause of the temperature rise and an estimated restart date post repair works.” The NOC indicated.

NOC said it was able to repair and restart compound 2 at the site, which had been out of order since May due to a technical issue.

“This will help production gradually return and add up to 60,000 bpd to site output. Current production at Sarir is around 155,000 bpd.” The NOC added.

The views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Libyan Express.
How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@libyanexpress.com. Please include ‘Op-Ed’ in the subject line.