Libya resumes crude pumping through Sharara-Zawiya pipeline

TRIPOLI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Saturday evening it had resumed regular crude oil pumping through the main Sharara-Zawiya pipeline after valve No. 7 was reopened.

Precautionary measures were taken to ensure the safe resumption of operations and stabilize crude supplies to the Zawiya Refinery and export terminals, the NOC said in a statement.

The NOC also reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Libya's oil resources and called on all parties to keep the oil sector away from disputes.

The disruption is the latest in a series of protests by members of Libya's Petroleum Facilities Guard since early September over salary and administrative grievances. Their blockades at the Zawiya complex and valve closures on western pipelines, including the Sharara field, have prompted the NOC to repeatedly warn of production losses and possible force majeure.