<article><p class="lead">Libya's 300,000 b/d capacity El Sharara field has restarted production following the release of a key politician in the country's capital Tripoli on 15 July, a source close to the matter told Argus. </p><p>The arrest of former finance minister Faraj Boumtari on 12 July in Tripoli saw his supporters <a href="https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2469122">shut down</a> the 70,000 b/d El Feel field and almost the entirety of El Sharara by 14 July. Some El Sharara output was kept online to supply the nearby 640MW Ubari power plant, which usually takes around 15,000-20,000 b/d. </p><p>"We expect El Sharara to be fully online sometime today," the source said. The release of Boumtari should also see El Feel ramp back up to capacity. </p><p>With a combined capacity of around 370,000 b/d, El Sharara and El Feel account for almost a third of the country's crude production capacity of 1.2mn b/d. Libya produced 1.18mn b/d in June, according to Argus estimates.</p><p class="bylines">By Aydin Calik</p></article>
