Sanallah: Keep NOC out of the war
Oil is now driving the conflict in Libya, says the state company’s boss, and dragging the firm into it will worsen the situation
National Oil Company’s (NOC) chairman fears that rival factions are poised for a major new oil war for control of central oilfields, and warned the country’s politicians that unless they move fast the conflict could engulf the industry, killing off chances for a production revival and worsening the economy. “The war now is about who is governing the oil,” Mustafa Sanallah said in an interview with Petroleum Economist. “The civil war is guided by the war for the oil. Everyone wants to govern the oil.” The warring sides in Libya’s civil conflict must avoid further damage to the country’s energy installations and stop politicising NOC, which is the only institution that can now transcend the ch
Also in this section
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
20 March 2026
The US may be systemically stripping Russia of key geopolitical allies, but Moscow can reap rewards from the Hormuz crisis, both in the short and long term
20 March 2026
Disruptions to Qatari LNG exports have highlighted the risks of concentrated supply, potentially strengthening the long-term position of US exporters despite limited near-term flexibility
20 March 2026
The extent of the US-Israel war with Iran means there will be no going back to the previous market equilibrium no matter how the conflict ends
