(Bloomberg) -- Libya’s biggest oil field resumed production after about a two-month halt, potentially helping the OPEC member get back to full production.

The Sharara field in the west of the country, which can pump 300,000 barrels each day, was closed after protesters gathered at the site in April demanding Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah quits. The field has restarted operations, according to people familiar with the matter.

Libyan Oil Exports Slump as Armed Clashes, Protests Hit Output

Revenue from oil exports is badly needed in Libya, a country mired in conflict for much of the period since the fall of dictator Moammar Al Qaddafi in 2011. Operators of its oil and natural gas facilities have complained that funds to maintain production -- let alone increase it -- are lacking.

Sharara’s shutdown was part of a series of of disruptions to hit Libya’s energy sector as political tension mounted. Protests have engulfed many major oil facilities. The country’s crude exports averaged 719,000 barrels a day in May, down from roughly 1.2 million at the start of the year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.