The Chairman of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) Mustafa Sanallah has described closing the Sidi Al-Sayeh gas pipeline as a "criminal and inhumane closure must end immediately without delay”.

Sanallah added in an NOC statement that at the current critical situation in the fight against COVID-19, some Libyans decided to abuse the situation and starve the capital of electricity.

"This puts more pressure on NOC to import large quantities of fuel, which is especially difficult due to the new restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the disease." He added.

Meanwhile, the NOC confirmed that the closure of the pipeline was illegal, saying it used to provide approximately 200 million cubic feet of gas daily to cement factories and to Al-Khums and Misrata power stations, adding that the closure had caused shortages in electricity supplies to the western region.

"NOC and its subsidiary Brega Petroleum Marketing Company (BPMC) are now directing imported diesel to power stations that can use liquid fuels." NOC added on Saturday.

Yet, it added that such a procedure will increase costs and put further pressure on reduced budgets, due to the ongoing disruption of local refineries as a result of oil blockades in the country.