The Libyan state oil company closes the terminal after the attack

Tripoli (AFP) – The Libyan national oil company announced Tuesday that it had stopped crude exports to its Zawiya terminal due to a decline in production after an attack in which four workers had been kidnapped

. "This is the result of reduced production at Sharara following the recent attack and the kidnapping of four employees of the Akakus company," he added, adding that

the deposit of Sharara Oil, managed by Akakus, is a joint venture between the NOC, Spanish Repsol, Total de France, the Austrian OMV and Statoil of Norway.

It is one of the largest oil facilities. in Libya, producing 270,000 barrels a day

Force majeure is a legal measure that releases a company from contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond its control.

The NOC stated that it had evacuated and stopped station 186 – where the four petroleum

field production had been limited to 125,000 b / d, which was sufficient to meet the needs of the refinery. Zawiya, but "left no surplus crude oil for export". Employee safety is always our first priority. This incident forced us to close and evacuate a number of stations, "said NOC President Mustafa Sbadla.

" We must prioritize local fuel demand. Monday, at a protest outside the headquarters of the NOC in Tripoli, Sbadla on Monday called on the tribes of the south of the country to release two employees, including a Romanian national.

The Libyan economy relies heavily on oil, with a production of 1.6 million barrels a day under the former dictator Muammar Gaddafi

The overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011 brought down production at around 20%, before rising to more than a million barrels by the end of 2017.

OPEC estimated Libya 's oil reserves at $ 48 billion. barrels, making it the largest in Africa.