A Libya crude oil pipeline, belonging to the al-Waha oil company and running to Sidra port, was attacked and set on fire by an unknown “terrorist group,” causing the loss of up to 100,000 barrels per day, state company NOC said.
The National Oil Corporation confirmed the incident, without specifying its cause. Local sources, meanwhile, said that the pipeline was attacked by a “terrorist group.”
READ MORE: Disaster looms over Libyan oil
“An explosion and fire broke out as a result of a terrorist act in one of the valves on the 24-inch crude oil pipeline northwest of the town of Mrada, some 500km east of Tripoli,” the petroleum installations guards said earlier, as cited by Xinhua.
“The bombing targeted the same pipeline that was bombed last year, while some maintenance operations were being carried out by the company,” it added.
In a Twitter post, NOC estimated the loss at between 70,000 and 100,000 bpd and said its firefighters are working at the scene.
Back in December 2017, the Waha-owned pipeline was attacked and crippled in roughly the same area. It took more than a week to repair and caused an estimated loss of over $10 million.
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