Will rising Libyan oil production ruin the Opec deal?
Exempt from the cuts, the country could still help decide their success or failure
Libyan oil production has tripled since September, when the Tobruk government's forces captured key oil ports in the Sirte basin. Exempt from the Opec cuts agreed in November, Libya could add much more supply in the coming months - but growth will depend on the country's civil conflict. Further disruptions are possible too. Output in early January was around 0.7m barrels a day, compared with just 290,000 b/d in August. The sharp rise was possible only after the Libyan National Army (LNA) ousted the Petroleum Facilities Guards from the key Sirte basin oil ports of Es-Sider (with a capacity of 447,000 b/d), Ras Lanuf (220,000 b/d) and Zueitina (200,000 b/d). The PFG, ostensibly allied with the
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy






