Libya gas production resumes after Mellitah protest

Gas production resumed at Libya's Mellitah complex on Tuesday after government forces regained control of the site from protesters angry over power cuts, the National Oil Corporation said.

The state oil company said it had authorised production to restart and normal operations to resume after the internationally recognised Government of National Unity secured the complex. It said production had also resumed at the oil fields and offshore platform that feed the facility.

The Mellitah Oil and Gas consortium, controlled by the NOC in partnership with Italy's ENI, operates the complex and welcomed the restart. At full capacity, the facility produces eight billion cubic metres of gas a year for export to Italy and five billion cubic metres for local power plants.

Earlier, the Tripoli-based government said it had ordered the army to take full control of the Mellitah gas complex, reopen gas pipelines and restore gas supplies to power plants after protesters forced their way in on Monday night and halted operations.

State electricity company GECOL said groups had entered the complex to shut gas valves supplying power plants, threatening to put several plants out of service and increasing the likelihood of a wider grid collapse.

In recent days, hundreds of residents in the Tripoli area have demonstrated against power supply interruptions. Libya remains divided between the UN-recognised administration in Tripoli and a rival government in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.