The Manager of Al-Feel oilfield, Ezzideen Al-Mizweghi, said the delay of resumption of oil production at the oilfield is due to the demands of financial dues’ payments of the so-called southern Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG).

“The southern PFG called on the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to pay out their financial dues so they can allow the oilfield to pump oil.” Al-Mizweghi added.

The NOC rejected many times paying out the PFG’s financial demands rendering them as an extortion and an attempt to blackmail the NOC to gain personal benefits at the expense of the Libyans’ suffering.

Operational teams at the oilfield of Al-Feel resumed work on December 14 after the pipeline of Rayayna had been reopened, but a group of the PFG from Murziq district – Tubu tribesmen - demanded the shutdown of the oilfield and blocked the pumping of oil through the pipeline that connects the field to Mellitah Oil & Gas Company.

“If the pipelines remain open with no pumping of oil through it, many technical issues will damage it leading to millions of dollars being paid for maintenance plus a considerably long time of closure will follow.” Sources from the company that is operating Al-Feel oilfield reported, adding that this issue must be resolved before it is too late.

If the oilfield has been reopened, its production will reach 50 thousand oil bpd and can reach 90 thousand bpd after two months if no technical faults took place, knowing that it could produce 120 thousand bpd under normal circumstances.