(Ecofin Agency) - Libya’s largest oil export terminal, Es Sider is expected to be re-opened by next week as renovation work is almost complete, a National Oil Corp. official revealed on Tuesday.
According to the unnamed official, tankers may be able to load from the port for the first time since 2014.

The Es Sider port has not exported crude since a force majeure, was declared on loadings almost two years ago.

Libya currently produces 660,000 barrels a day of oil, compared to the production of about 1.6 million barrels a day before the 2011 uprising. Output weakened following withdrawal by foreign oil companies during the conflict between rival governments and armed groups concerning the country’s oil fields, ports and pipelines.

The North African producer has been making efforts to increase crude oil production and exports ever since its National Oil Company (NOC) reached a deal with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of forces controlling important oil ports in September.
Thanks to the deal, the country was able to export 781,000 barrels from the Ras Lanuf port on September 21, 2016, the first since force majeure was declared in December 2014.

The OPEC member plans to export nine cargoes totaling 6.87 million barrels this month from the eastern port of Brega, Bloomberg reports.

The NOC official added that the Es Sider port is prepared to export about 1.5 million barrels and has a storage capacity of 2.5 million.

Ghaith Abdul Qader, an official in Es Sider’s control department has said that the terminal is yet to get formal instructions from NOC for resumption. He said Es Sider’s operator, Al-Waha Oil Corp., restarted production in October and at present produces 65,000 barrels a day.

Anita Fatunji