Protesters have shut down the eastern Libyan oil port Brega, state firm National Oil Corp (NOC) said on Saturday, days after the government celebrated the reopening of major ports after almost a year of blockage.

NOC spokesman Mohamed El Harari said the state-run Sirte Oil Co would have to shut down its production of 43,000 barrels per day (bpd) if the protest by state oil guards continued, without being more specific about timeframe.

Harari said he did not know what the demands of the guards were. He said Brega port was used to export oil but recently had been mostly used to supply the western Zawiya refinery.

Last week the government managed to negotiate an end to a protest blocking the 340,000 bpd El Sharara field in the southwest. A rebel group also agreed to restart the Ras Lanuf and Es Sider ports which they had seized almost a year ago. – Reuters