Libya's NOC Says Recent Oilfield Closures Caused Loss of around 63% of Total Oil Productions

 A general view of Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Company in Ras Lanuf, Libya, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Company in Ras Lanuf, Libya, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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Libya's NOC Says Recent Oilfield Closures Caused Loss of around 63% of Total Oil Productions

 A general view of Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Company in Ras Lanuf, Libya, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Company in Ras Lanuf, Libya, August 28, 2024. (Reuters)

Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Friday that the recent oilfield closures have caused the loss of approximately 63% of the country's total oil production.

Highlighting that the oil sector represents the backbone of the Libyan economy, NOC said restarting the halted oilfields will require huge costs and double technical efforts.

It emphasized that the "reasons that led to the oil closure have nothing to do with the National Oil Corporation," adding that the corporation's teams are assessing losses resulting from the closures.

The repeated shutdowns result in the loss of a large portion of the country's oil production, cause a deterioration of the sector’s infrastructure, and dissipate efforts to achieve the production increase plan, NOC added in its statement.



Inflation Fell to 2.2% in Europe, Clearing Way for Central Bank Rate Cut

FILE - The European Central Bank is pictured next to containers in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
FILE - The European Central Bank is pictured next to containers in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
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Inflation Fell to 2.2% in Europe, Clearing Way for Central Bank Rate Cut

FILE - The European Central Bank is pictured next to containers in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)
FILE - The European Central Bank is pictured next to containers in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

Inflation in the 20 European Union countries that use the euro fell sharply to 2.2% in August, opening the door for the European Central Bank to cut interest rates as the ECB and the US Federal Reserve prepare to lower borrowing costs to support growth and jobs.
The August figure was down from 2.6% in July, according to figures Friday from European Union statistics agency Eurostat. Energy prices fell in August by 3%, helping lower the overall figure, while inflation fell to 2% in Germany, the eurozone’s largest economy.
The monthly figure is now close to the ECB’s target of 2%, the level considered best for the economy, The Associated Press reported. The central bank is charged with maintaining stable prices under the treaty that set up the European Union. Not all of the EU’s 27 countries use the euro.
Economists expect the ECB to cut its key rate by a quarter point from 3.75% at its Sept. 12 meeting, while the Fed is expected to cut rates from a 23-year high of 5.25%-5.5% at its Sept. 17-18 policy meeting.