Explosion at major oil pipeline in Libya
December 26, 2017
Armed attackers blew up a major oil pipeline in Libya on Tuesday, military and oil sources said.
The pipeline feeds into the central distribution station of Es Sider port on the Mediterranean Sea.
The state-run National Oil Corporation said in a statement that oil flow had been reduced by about 70,000-100,000 bpd.
It was unclear who carried out the attack.
"Islamic State" militants had been in the area before government forces defeated them in their Siirte stronghold last year.
Libya is rife with rival militias and armed groups, some in competition with the internationally backed government.
Oil was trading at more than $65 (€55) a barrel after the incident, close to its highest price since mid-2015. Voluntary OPEC-led supply cuts also impacted the price.
The pipeline is operated by Waha, a subsidiary of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) and a joint venture with Hess Corp, Marathon Oil Corp and ConocoPhillips.
Wada claims to pump 260,000 barrels a day from Libya's southern desert.
Libya produces about 1 million barrels of per day, but production is often cut due to sabotage, politics and instability.
Online English-language news outlet The Libya Times shared unconfirmed images of the blast.
cw, aw/msh (Reuters, dpa)