TRIPOLI, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Protesters on Thursday reopened the Al-Raguba oil field in eastern Libya, after closing it on Wednesday demanding employment and improved services for their areas, local Al-Wasat news website said.
The reopening of the oil field came after an extensive meeting between the protesters and government officials to discuss the demands of the protesters, including providing better healthcare, infrastructure, drinking water, as well as employment for the protesters' areas and towns.
The protesters agreed to reopen the oil field after the government officials pledged to meet all of their needs.
Al-Raguba oil field, which produces 5000 barrels of crude oil per day, was closed on Wednesday by the protesters, who also threatened to close all the oil fields in Marada basin, a part of the coastal oil crescent region that contains major oil fields and ports, until their demands are met.
Libya, which has Africa's largest oil reserves, used to produce about 1.6 million barrels per day before the 2011 armed uprising that toppled and killed former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Libya's daily production of crude oil has returned to about 1 million barrels a day since the end of 2017, after production operations of all southern and eastern oil fields were resumed.
However, sudden closures of oil fields due to protests as well as terrorist attacks have caused Libya's oil production to fluctuate.
In February, Al-Fil oil field, a major oil field in the south of the country was shut for more than a month after the oil installation guards withdrew from the oil field in protest of their unpaid salaries, which caused loss of more than 100 million U.S. dollars, according to the state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC).
