By Seraj Essul and Jamal Adel.
Tripoli, 1 May 2014:
Demonstrators this morning forced the closure of the Raguba . . .[restrict]oil field in the Marada area, according to Sirte Oil Company official Ahmed Al-Sharkasi.
“They came today and shut it,” he told the Libya Herald.
The demonstrators, thought to be from the Jalu area, are believed to be involved in the local campaign for Jalu, Awjila and Jakharra, currently with a single seat in Congress, to be given a seat each in the new House of Representatives.
They also plan to shut the nearby Zelten and Al-Tahadi fields south of Marsa Al-Brega, Sharkasi added. All three are operated by Sirte Oil Company. According to the company, Raguba produces 18,000 b/d, Zelten 30,000 b/d and Al-Tahadi 350 million cubic feet of gas and 35,000 b/d of condensate.
“It’s become normal for people who have a grievance to go and shut an oil field,” lamented Sharkasi. “They’re now on their way to shut the other two fields and it seems no one can stop them. Last week, a group came and demanded they be given jobs. They forced the closure of office of the Brega Marketing Company.”
Earlier this week there were clashes at the Nafoura oil field some 150 northeast of Jalu between Jalu security forces and the Jazeera brigade from Ajdabiya when the latter force, based at Nafoura field, reportedly tried to occupy the Abu Al-Tifil field.
“The media overestimated the misunderstanding between the Jazeera Brigade and Jalu forces,” according to the commander of Al-Wahat Petroleum Facilities Guard Brigade, Mohammed Saeed. It was just a minor quarrel between members of the two groups over vehicles, he told this newspaper.
“Elders are now resolving the misunderstanding and the nearby oilfields are secure and unthreatened,” he said. [/restrict]
