By Dalena Reporters — Tripoli, Libya — 12 November 2025
Libya has taken a notable step in expanding its oil production infrastructure, as Zallaf for Oil and Gas Co., a subsidiary of the state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC), announced the export of its first shipment from the recently developed Chadar oil field (also known as NC-126) in the Sirte Basin, southeast of Ajdabiya.
The company’s statement reveals that the shipment comprised more than 600,000 barrels of high-quality Sidra crude—but did not disclose the ultimate destination of the oil. The Chadar field has been in development for some time: early production began in January, including associated gas flows of 7.5 million cubic feet per day and crude output of 1,500 barrels per day. The first phase included more than five development wells completed by Zallaf.
This export milestone positions Libya to expand its export volumes beyond legacy production areas, signalling recovery and capacity growth within the oil sector. For Zallaf and NOC, the success of the Chadar field helps diversify Libya’s output sources and may contribute to stabilising state oil revenues, which remain critical for the country’s macro-economic and reconstruction efforts.
Moreover, the Chadar field’s development aligns with long-term refinery plans: in March 2023, Zallaf signed an engineering contract with U.S. firm Honeywell International Inc. to build the “South Refinery” project, estimated at US$500–600 million and designed to process about 30,000 barrels per day of crude.
Despite the positive news, Libya’s oil industry remains vulnerable to political instability, infrastructure damage, and export disruptions. Delivering sustained production increases from newer fields like Chadar will require consistent investment, security for assets, and smooth export logistics. Analysts will closely watch whether this shipment becomes a recurring export stream or a one-off milestone.
For now, the shipment from the Chadar field signals meaningful progress for Libya’s oil ambitions—but it also raises expectations for how reliably this new output can be scaled and monetised in a context of complex governance and operational risk.
Dalena Reporters — Where facts meet clarity and consequence.