Libya’s oil output has fallen more than 80 percent since July, straining the already-weak central government. As Prime Minister Ali Zeidan and his oil minister fail to get a handle on the crisis, a change of heart among the people responsible for some of the stoppages may be what finally gets oil and gas flowing again.
Libya is currently facing one of its most complex dilemmas. The continuing occupation of multiple oil and gas production sites, pipelines, platforms and export terminals by armed protestors has cut oil production to a sixth of the level it was at as late as July. As this cut in production, and thus in government revenue, forces Libya to dip into its savings to keep the government operating, a rash of assassinations of security officials, criminal activity, and sporadic militia clashes have spread the nascent Libyan security institutions thin. A recent political opinion focus group survey conducted by the National Democratic Institute found that “Libyans blame the government for continued insecurity and express a desire for the state to exert its authority and address the issue.”
Article by Jason Pack and Haley Cook, Majalla.
To read the full article, click here.
