Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah in 2021
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
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
