Foreign oil companies suspend Libyan oil, gas operations

MILAN — Two oil companies, including the biggest energy producer in Libya, on Tuesday suspended production in the country due to the deadly protests against the regime of Moammar Gadhafi.

Italy's Eni — which puts out 244,000 barrels of gas and oil equivalent a day in Libya, about a quarter of the country's exports — announced the move in a statement.

Spain's Repsol-YPF, which produced 34,777 barrels in the country last year, about 3.8 percent of national output, likewise halted operations while conditions were unsafe. Repsol spokesman Kristian Rix said the company had been operating on Monday but had shut down production by Tuesday.

Worries that the uprising would affect production and possibly spread to other larger OPEC nations boosted oil prices on Tuesday, with the benchmark contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange up nearly 7 percent.

Libya exports some 1.1 million barrels of crude daily from production of 1.6 million barrels — ranking it about 17th among world oil producers. It also has Africa's largest proven oil reserves.

Eni said the repatriation of some 100 nonessential workers and family members will be completed Tuesday, and that another 34 employees remain in Libya, in the capital Tripoli and at other locations.

It added, however, that security measures at the affected facilities have been put in place, and noted that none of its plants has been damaged. It did not specify which sites were involved.

Eni operates under six contracts in Libya, with sites in remote deserts and offshore.