Wintershall Aktiengesellschaft (WIAG) has transferred operatorship of Contract Areas 91 (former Concession 96) and 107 (former Concession 97) in the onshore Sirte Basin to Sarir Oil Operations (SOO), a newly established joint operating company with the National Oil Corporation (NOC).

After the signing of two Exploration and Production Sharing Agreements (EPSAs) in December 2019, WIAG had continued to transitionally operate the fields while SOO was being established and prepared to assume operational responsibility. The vast majority of WIAG’s Libyan personnel has been transferred to SOO and will continue to work in their previous roles.

Oil production in the fields located in Contract Areas 91 and 107 has been suspended since mid-January 2020 due to blockades of the export infrastructure. Although the coronavirus pandemic and the conflict in Libya have posed additional significant challenges during the past months, NOC and WIAG are nonetheless convinced that as a result of a comprehensive and diligent transitional process, SOO has successfully been enabled to operate the fields in a reliable manner and in accordance with good oilfield practices.

WintershallDea in Libya

Wintershall Dea (formerly Wintershall and DEA) has been involved in the exploration and production of crude oil in Libya since 1958. Its affiliate Wintershall Aktiengesellschaft (WIAG), a joint venture of Wintershall Dea and Gazprom EP International, has since 1966 discovered, developed and operated nine oil fields across two concessions in the Sirte Basin, located about 1,000 kilometres southeast of the capital Tripoli in the Al-Wahat municipality. Since 2008, Gazprom EP International holds a share of 49% in WIAG. The most important field is the As-Sarah Field near the oasis settlement of Jakhira. In December 2019, the concessions were converted to EPSA IV contracts, operatorship of the fields was transferred on 29 October 2020 to Sarir Oil Operations (SOO), a newly established joint venture between Wintershall Aktiengesellschaft (WIAG) and the National Oil Corporation (NOC).

About the National Oil Corporation

The National Oil Corporation (NOC) owns refining, and oil and gas processing companies, operating refineriessuch as Zawia and Ras Lanuf refineries, ammonia, urea and methanol plants, the Ras Lanuf petrochemical complex and the gas processing plan. To establish petrochemical industries, anther stage of development of the ethylene plant has been completed , as well as the low and high density linear polyethylene plants.

NOC also owns national service companies which carry out oil well drilling and work over operations, provide all drilling material and equipment, lay and maintain oil and gas pipelines, build and maintain oil and gas storage tanks and carry out related technical and economic studies . They also provide the sector with other services , such as catering, procurement of materials and equipment, training and employment of foreign employees.