The Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah stressed the necessity of reviewing the agreement to develop oil and gas explorations, and taking note of all the observations, saying that “all supervisory and executive authorities and relevant experts are a first party representing the Libyan state to preserve its rights.”
Dbeibah's remarks came in his speech during the ninth regular meeting of the Supreme Council for Energy and Water Affairs, which was held at the headquarters of the Audit Bureau in Tripoli, on Wednesday, in the presence of members of the Council.
At the meeting, the National Oil Corporation responded to the Bureau’s observations regarding the Hamada field development agreement, as Dbeibah stressed the need to increase oil and gas production through new exploration and to support foreign and local investment in accordance with laws that preserve the rights of the Libyan state.
Dbeibah explained that the meeting was devoted to the National Oil Corporation's team to respond to the observations received from the Audit Bureau, and the memorandum submitted by Libyan experts in the oil and gas sector regarding the points that need clarification and response, stressing that all parties have a national responsibility to invest in the field of oil and gas in accordance with Legal and technical guidelines.
The National Oil Corporation team presented the history of the area to be developed in the Hamada field, the stages of development of negotiations, and the offers submitted by a consortium of companies: Eni of Italy, ADNOC of the UAE, Total of France, and the Turkish Energy Corporation, to develop the oil field, which was met with local opposition.
The agreement to develop the Hamada field, which the National Unity Government intends to sign in late January 2024, has sparked widespread controversy within Libya and local opposition, especially by a number of national experts, the House of Representatives, the High Council of State, the Public Prosecution, and the Audit Bureau.
