By Houda Mzioudet,
Tripoli, 12 November 2013:
The Zawia refinery was closed today by a number of wounded people.
The protesters closed the refinery this morning and staged a sit-in at the entrance of the refinery, and prevented entry and exit of trucks transporting fuel as well as employees at the Zawia refinery, Mohamed al Harari, spokesman of the NOC told the Libya Herald.
Moreover, gas exports to Italy were also stopped because of the security situation at the the Mellitah gas complex. This was due to a number of Amazigh protesters closing it in protest at the non-inclusion of the Amazigh language as an official language in Libya's next constitution, Al Harari added.Al Wafa field supplies Italy with gas, Al Harari added. However, the pumping of gas and its treatment as well as providing gas to power plants, was still operational., he explained.
Mellitah field used to produce 3 million cubic feet of gas before the closure of the gas pipeline. Now it is producing 1340 million cubic feet, Al Harari explained.
He nonetheless, reassured that fuel, gasoline and diesel supplies will not be affected by the closure, adding that the reserves of NOC and Brega Oil Company will be enough for 21 days.
