The United Nations summit official for Libya on Monday called for lift the blockade of the production of two oil fields, the most grand of the country, as oil prices soared over $130 a barrel.
Stephanie Williams, UN special to advise on Libya, said the blocking of oil production from the Sharara and el-Feel fields “deprives all Libyans of their main source of income.”
“The oil blockade should be lifted,” she said on Twitter.
The closures have caused Libya’s daily production of oil to drop of 330,000 barrels, according to the state-run National Petroleum Company.
Before the shutdown, Libyan production of oil was around 1.2 billion barrels per day (bpd). The North African nation has the ninth largest known oil reserves in the world’s largest oil reserves in Africa.
The closure cost Libya more over 34.6 millions dollars per day in loss of revenue, the NOC said.
Company head Mustafa Sanallah blamed the shutdown on an armed group led by Mohamed Bashir al-Garg, in the mountain town of Zintan, about 136 kilometers (over 84 miles) southwest of the capital, Tripoli.
Al-Garg, who also order one force guarding oil facilities in the area said the closures were due to “disastrous living conditions”, demanding that authorities provide services to people in the regionaccording to the premises media.
The stoppage came as Brent crude, international pricing standard, hit $139.13 a barrel before falling back Monday at $130.29 a barrel.
The growing increase of the price of oil is a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukriane, which sent shock waves to the world markets.
