Libya’s four oil export ports reopened on Wednesday after being closed in the face of Storm Daniel, which swept across the Mediterranean and caused extensive damage in eastern Libya, where officials reported more than 5,000 deaths.
On Wednesday, Libya’s National Oil Company (NOC) confirmed that the eastern oil export ports of Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Brega and Es Sider had all reopened, with the exception of a berth at Es Sida that had been closed for maintenance the previous week.
While production was not affected, markets feared that Libya’s port closures would remove around 1 million barrels from export volumes. OPEC data for August showed that Libya was producing around 1 million barrels of oil per day.
The closure of Libya’s ports, combined with the extension of production cuts by OPEC+ heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Russia, added to the upward pressure on oil prices on Monday and Tuesday. Brent reached a 10-month high on Tuesday.
On Sunday, just before Storm Daniel hit Libya, the NOC had reported that production had reached 1.207 million barrels per day.
An interior ministry spokesman for Libya’s eastern-based government said Tuesday that the death toll in the eastern port city of Derna alone had reached 5,200. He said the number was expected to rise to more than 10,000. The Libya Observer reported that the spokesman said international rescue teams were still working to recover bodies swept out to sea by the storm.