Libya’s National Oil Corporation said Thursday it had fully contained a fire on the Sharara crude pipeline caused by a valve leak.
The NOC confirmed production is expected to return to previous levels within 24 hours, if the ongoing operational plan continues as scheduled.
Currently, approximately 50% of the field’s production capacity is operational and gradually increasing, according to the NOC statement.
Maintenance teams are set to assess the damage, after which repair work will begin immediately, though no precise timeline was provided.
Sharara is among Libya’s largest oil fields, with a production capacity ranging between 300,000 and 320,000 barrels per day.
The field supplies the Zawiya refinery, the country’s largest functioning facility, capable of processing 120,000 barrels daily, located 40 kilometres west of Tripoli.
Sharara sits in southwestern Libya and is operated by a joint venture including the state-owned NOC via Acacus Oil Company, Spain’s Repsol, France’s TotalEnergies, Austria’s OMV, and Norway’s Equinor.
Footage posted by the NOC on social media showed firefighters encircling a sand crater, hoses slung over shoulders, battling the blaze with determination.
Libyan oil output has repeatedly suffered closures for political and technical reasons since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi.
Officials emphasised that restoring full production remains a priority, aiming to stabilise the market and ensure consistent delivery to domestic and international customers.
The fire underscores the vulnerability of Libya’s energy infrastructure, highlighting the challenges of operating amid political uncertainty and recurring technical disruptions.