The Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced on Wednesday the start of drilling operations for an exploratory well south of the Western Mountain within the Ghadames Basin, about 400 kilometers southwest of Tripoli, as part of efforts to boost the country's national oil and gas production.
In a statement on its official website, the NOC said the project is supervised by the Arabian Gulf Oil Company, one of its subsidiaries, and aims to reach a final depth of 11,700 feet. The well is the tenth in a series drilled by the company in the same area since it began exploration there in 1985.
According to the NOC, the drilling forms part of its strategic plan to intensify exploration, expand reserves, and strengthen the country's energy sector to support the national economy and ensure long-term sustainability.
Libya's Minister of Oil and Gas Khalifa Abdul Sadek said on Saturday that the country plans to raise its oil production to 1.6 million barrels per day next year, up from the current level of around 1.4 million barrels per day. He noted that Libya's proven oil reserves stand at 48 billion barrels, with oil revenues contributing more than 90 percent of state income.
The NOC plays a central role in managing Libya's oil wealth and ensuring the stability of energy supplies, making its security a top national priority. However, production remains vulnerable due to ongoing political division and instability.
Since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has been split between two rival governments -- the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and the eastern administration appointed by the House of Representatives and headed by Osama Hammad.
Years of insecurity and the presence of armed groups controlling oil fields, ports, and other infrastructure have repeatedly disrupted Libya's oil production, posing continued challenges to the country's economic recovery.
Editor:Leo
