TRIPOLI: Two Libya National Oil Corp. (LNOC) affiliates have suspended some work because of the spread of coronavirus, they said in statements posted online on Monday.
The country’s biggest refinery – Zawiya – located west of Tripoli, said it had closed its offices from 8 to 17 September, reducing staffing by 10 per cent and placing them on “emergency leave”.
In eastern Libya, AGOCO said it had suspended “all work and activities for 30 days to protect oil workers from the pandemic”, except for operations relating to industrial safety and security.
Pandemic surge
The pandemic has surged in Libya over the past month, with over 1,000 cases confirmed on Monday, bringing the total to more than 18,000, according to official figures.
Libya’s oil output has already been almost entirely halted this year by a blockade on exports since January by the eastern-based Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar.
Output has fallen from 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) before the blockade to less than 100,000 bpd now, which is mostly used for domestic consumption.