Exploded munitions found near Libya’s Sharara pipeline after blast disrupts output

Tripoli— Libyan security authorities recovered exploded projectiles from a damaged crude pipeline at the Sharara oilfield, the interior ministry said on Tuesday, following a fire that disrupted flows from one of the country’s the largest oil production sites.

The Tripoli-based Libyan Interior Ministry said the recovered ordnance included an M-62 Russian-made missile weighing about 250 kg and remnants of a 130 mm rocket.

The ministry said the site had been secured and the munitions handled according to technical and safety procedures.

After the fire last week, the National Oil Corporation redirected crude from Sharara via alternative routes, including the El Feel pipeline to Mellitah port and through the Hamada system to storage tanks in Zawiya.

Images released by the ministry showed debris near what appeared to be a damaged section of pipeline. Authorities did not immediately attribute responsibility for the incident.

The disruption forced a full shutdown of the El Feel oilfield since Thursday, according to engineers familiar with operations. One engineer said production is expected to resume within seven to ten days.

Sharara, with a capacity of 300,000 to 320,000 barrels per day, is among Libya’s largest oil producing fields and is connected to the Zawiya refinery west of Tripoli. El Feel typically produces between 80,000 and 90,000 barrels per day under normal conditions.

Fragile energy infrastructureLibya’s oil sector has faced repeated disruptions since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Qaddafi, with outages often linked to conflict, sabotage, or technical failures.

Sharara is operated by Acacus Oil Company, a joint venture involving National Oil Corporation and international partners including Repsol, TotalEnergies, OMV and Equinor.

El Feel is run by Mellitah Oil and Gas, a joint venture between NOC and Eni.