Sharara moves oil from the nearby Matkhendush and Erawin fields: Exclusive
Oil from the Matkhendush and Erawin fields in southwestern Libya is being transferred to the nearby Sharara oilfield and from there pumped through the 723-kilometre pipeline to the terminal at Zawiya, a source at Sharara has told Libya Energy. This has increased the overall amount moving through the pipeline from Sharara to the coastal terminal by 11,000 b/d.
Sharara is operated by Akakus Oil while Matkhendush is run by the Sirte Oil and Gas Production and Manufacturing Company. The Erawin field is run by Zallaf Oil.
According to the source, Akakus and Sirte Oil agreed to move 4,000 barrels from the Matkhendush field. It is in the Wadi Utba area, 116 km south of Ubari. In fact, production of the Matkhendush field has now risen from a daily average in January of 3,200 barrels to 4,300 b/d this past week, an increase of 34 percent. The oil is moved daily by truck.
The source also indicated that the amount being moved from the Erawin field, 50 kilometres east of the Awaynat area, is 7,000 b/d. It goes via a pipeline of some 100 kilometres in length which then connects to the Zawiya pipeline. Previously, the oil has been trucked, like that from the Matkhendush field.
The two amounts bring the total arriving from Erawin and Matkhendush to some 11,000 b/d during this week.
Altogether, according to the source, some 300,000 barrels of oil were pumped through the pipeline to Zawiya port on 22 April. Additionally, 14,000 barrels were pumped to the Ubari electricity power station.
The amounts pumped this past week have been within the range of 300,000 b/d and 315,000 b/d, he added.
He further disclosed that Wazen Oil Services Company has begun maintaining the second principle tank at the Sharara field, which has been out of operation for years. It has a storage capacity of 100,000 barrels. Work began two months ago, and it is likely to enter operation next August.
Last December, Libya Energy quoted sources saying that the maintenance process for the first principle tank, also with a capacity of 100,000 barrels, carried out by Wazen Company, had been completed. It went back into operation in early January following successful trials.
