Explorers return to Libya despite fragile security

Peace means progress for Libya’s upstream, but disruption is never far away

Storm clouds are once again circling Libya’s energy sector amid renewed clashes between rival factions. It comes after a period of calm, with major energy companies having a tentative sense of confidence that may still be borne out. IOCs BP and Eni have lifted their decade-long force majeure on Libyan hydrocarbons development, clearing the way for major exploration projects. The two companies, along with Algerian state oil and gas producer Sonatrach, made the move on 3 August, according to Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC). NOC officials have been saying for months that security conditions have improved in Libya, with a ceasefire in its civil war agreed in 2020 largely holding. The conf