A preliminary agreement to restart oil production was reached in Tripoli on April 6. Ibrahim Jadhran, the leader of the blockade that has kept Libya's eastern oil terminals offline since August 2013, announced an accord with members of the embattled national government, ending nearly eight months of stalemate. The eastern region's tribal and local elders stepped in to broker the interim agreement, with the central government stressing that it was not involved in direct negotiations with Jadhran or his appointed political committee. Any agreement hinges on Jadhran allowing the ports of Hariga and Zueitina to reopen, with potential exports totaling around 200,000 barrels per day. Coming weeks would require further negotiations before terminals at Ras Lanuf and As Sidra could come back online.
In exchange for his show of good faith, Jadhran's forces would be exempt from prosecution in addition to receiving several months' worth of back pay commensurate with their status as former government employees. There are also stipulations regarding the creation of a Ministry of Justice oversight committee, designed to monitor administrative and financial compensation related to the Libyan oil sector since the fall of Moammar Gadhafi in October 2011. Any deal that could see the majority of Libyan oil exports return to global markets will be significant for both international trade and Libya's domestic economy, which relies almost completely on oil revenue. Although Jadhran, his designated political representatives and some members of Libya's national government are heralding the April 6 agreement as a road to reconciliation, many challenges still remain before Libya can return to stable, sustainable levels of production resembling the post-revolutionary gains seen in 2012.
