Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), the state-owned entity that controls the country’s hydrocarbon sector, recorded combined crude and condensate output of 1.5 million barrels per day (mmbbl/d) on 21 June 2026 — the highest production level the country has achieved since 2013.
The NOC confirmed that crude oil output reached 1.43 million barrels on that date, with condensate production adding a further 49,163 barrels per day. The milestone brings Libya within striking distance of its stated target of 1.5 mmbbl/d of crude oil alone, a threshold the corporation has set as a benchmark for its ongoing recovery programme.
NOC Chairman Masoud Suleman, speaking at a meeting held at the corporation’s headquarters in Tripoli, commended the national oil companies and field workforce for maintaining operational momentum despite persistent challenges. He credited department directors for continuous monitoring across oil fields and production sites, and for their swift response to operational developments.
Suleman emphasised the importance of sustaining current production levels to meet the corporation’s full output target by the end of 2026, framing the achievement as central to Libya’s broader economic recovery.
The significance of the milestone is sharpened by context. Libya holds Africa’s largest proven oil reserves and was producing approximately 1.7 mmbbl/d before the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi’s government. The years that followed brought repeated production disruptions driven by political instability and armed conflict, leaving output well below pre-war levels for much of the intervening period.
The recovery, if sustained, carries implications beyond Libya’s borders. As a major North African producer and a supplier to European markets, Libya’s output trajectory directly influences regional energy supply dynamics and continental oil market balances. A return toward pre-2011 production levels would reinforce Libya’s position as a significant variable in African and Mediterranean energy flows.
The NOC has not detailed the specific investment or operational measures underpinning the production increase, but Suleman’s remarks point to workforce resilience and management oversight as key factors in the current momentum.
