Wazen Oil Services is an established Libyan energy company providing engineering, construction, maintenance, measurement and control services across the oil and gas sector. With offices in Tripoli and Benghazi and operational camps across Libya, Wazen has continued to support client operations through periods of political uncertainty, security challenges and changing market conditions.
In this interview, Ibraheim Mejerissi, managing director of Wazen Oil Services, discusses Libya’s infrastructure modernization, the importance of building national capability and the role strong Libyan partners can play as international investment returns to the country.
“Our role is to help international companies navigate entry into Libya and operate successfully.”
Ibraheim Mejerissi, Managing Director, Wazen Oil Services
Post ThisQ: How do you assess Libya’s oil and gas sector today?
Libya has a significant opportunity ahead. The challenge is to maintain and increase production while simultaneously modernizing aging infrastructure, much of which requires significant investment and renewal. Decisions being made today around technology, engineering standards and operating philosophy will shape the sector for decades to come. The task now is to use this new investment cycle to strengthen not just output, but the infrastructure, organizations and national capability that will sustain it.
Q: What role can Wazen play as international companies return to Libya?
Our resilience has built trust. We continued operating through 2011, the difficult years that followed and the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining people and capability on the ground. But our role today goes beyond resilience. International companies entering Libya need partners that can translate international expectations into local execution: understanding the operating environment, navigating institutions, mobilizing resources and delivering safely on the ground. Our role is to help bridge that gap, connecting international capability with Libyan experience and delivery.
Q: What was your founding vision for the company?
Wazen Oil Services was established in 2007 with a simple objective—to become a reliable Libyan partner capable of delivering high-quality oilfield services in challenging environments. Today we provide construction, engineering, maintenance, measurement, and control services through our headquarters in Tripoli, our support office in Benghazi and operational camps across eastern, southern and western Libya. Our reputation has been built on reliability, transparency and consistently delivering for our clients.
Q: How important are international partnerships and technology transfer?
They are fundamental. We partner with leading international manufacturers and technology companies to bring world-class engineering solutions into Libya. Equally important is ensuring knowledge transfer. Our engineers must understand the systems, commission the equipment, and maintain it independently. Building local capability creates sustainability and ensures operations continue even when international personnel cannot be present.
Q: Why is developing Libyan talent so important?
Libya has a highly educated workforce with tremendous potential. The challenge is creating structured training programs that retain knowledge inside the country. Local capability reduces dependence on expatriate personnel, strengthens operational resilience, and allows Libya to maintain and develop its own critical energy infrastructure over the long term.
Q: What are Wazen's key priorities over the next five years?
We intend to expand our measurement and control capabilities, strengthen infrastructure maintenance services, and continue investing in digital systems that improve efficiency and project execution. We also see significant opportunities in offshore services as Libya's offshore oil and gas developments continue to grow.
Q: What message would you like to share with international investors?
Libya offers exceptional opportunities, but it is not a short-term market. Success requires patience, commitment, and the right local partner. Companies should conduct proper due diligence, invest for the long term, and build genuine partnerships. The opportunities are significant, and with the right approach, Libya has enormous potential for sustainable growth.
