Sharara Pipeline Valve 7 Closure Nears a Week; NOC-Cited Cumulative Output Loss Reaches 720,000 Barrels

Libya's National Oil Corporation said the forced closure of Valve No. 7 on the Sharara–Zawiya crude pipeline — shut by an armed group on the morning of September 21, 2026 — has led to a cumulative production loss of roughly 720,000 barrels as of Thursday, September 25, 2026, per financial wire service Newsquawk's relay of the NOC figure. The figure represents total barrels lost since closure began rather than a daily rate. The Sharara field, Libya's largest at a normal capacity of roughly 300,000–350,000 bpd, has been running at an estimated 100,000–105,000 bpd since the valve closure, and NOC technical teams remain unable to access valves 6 and 7 despite requests for the Petroleum Facilities Guard (Southwest) to intervene. NOC has not yet formally declared force majeure but continues to warn it may be compelled to if the closure persists, which would also risk a Zawiya refinery shutdown. No party has publicly claimed responsibility for the valve closure.