Global oil and gas drilling contractor Nabors has announced it will add a third drilling rig to the Waha oil field in Libya’s Sirte Basin. Expected to start operation in the coming weeks, the rig adds to the company’s current fleet of two rigs operating on the field.
The announcement was made by Nabors Vice President of Eastern Hemisphere Operations Tyson Seeliger during a U.S.-Libya Roundtable – Advancing Collaboration Between Libya and the U.S. in Energy Sector – at this year’s Libya Energy & Economic Summit 2025.
“We hope to start putting boots on the ground,” Seeliger stated, adding, “Right now, we have two drilling rigs in Waha, with the third about to start and we look forward to what’s coming in the future.”
Meanwhile, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy of Libya Jeremy Berndt announced that the U.S. is coming closer to opening an embassy in Tripoli. The U.S. embassy to Libya – based in Tunis, Tunisia – has been working with the U.S. State Department and government, as well as the Libyan government, to evaluate potential properties in Libya’s capital.
“We’ve been working steadily to increase our visits and I’m really proud of the work our team has done and the work of the State Department and U.S. government,” Berndt stated, adding, “We took the important step last month to sign leases for properties to open a new embassy and in the coming months we hope our work plan will allow us to become fully operational in Libya.”
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the U.S.-Libya Business Association Lydia Jabs, emphasized the U.S’ support for Libya, highlighting Libya’s role as a key partner in driving energy growth in the region and across the globe.
“I expect the next administration will see Libya as a key partner in global energy security and we hope to see continued support with our partners in the country,” Jabs stated.
Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Libya Ahmed Al-Ghazali encouraged U.S. companies to enter the country and partner with local companies. He emphasized the transfer of technology and knowledge as a requisite for Libyan companies to drive socioeconomic development, driven by a robust energy sector.
Through its partnership with TotalEnergies, energy supermajor ConocoPhillips has been operating in Libya for decades and boasts a significant portfolio of energy projects in the country. As such, ConocoPhillips President for Libya Dag Sanner highlighted that the company is currently in discussions with the Libya’s parastatal National Oil Corporation (NOC) to ensure further investments in the oil and gas sector in the coming years.
Last year, the energy majors – partners in the Waha oil field – requested extending the validity of contracts signed with the NOC to 2046 while increasing their profit margin in the field from 6.5% to 13%.
The roundtable also featured the participation of global technology company SLB, which announced its ambition to increase oil production in the country, contributing to the NOC’s stated goal of increasing output to 2 million barrels of oil per day by 2027.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
