One of the largest oil reservoirs in the world in Libya's El Sharara, once producing some 300 000 barrels per day, is ready to resume production if a blocked pipeline is eventually cleared.

The pipeline has fallen victim to Libya's long and protracted civil war, with rival groups contesting the pipeline's ownership, preventing the shipment of oil to commercial markets.

Libya's economy is virtually dependent on the sale of oil for its income. The lack of any cohesive leadership in Tripoli continues to undermine sustained re-development of the country's petroleum sector.