Apart from a small core team, Wintershall will temporarily fly its employees and their relatives out of Libya.

Their return will be decided on the basis of the development in the country.

31 people (nine employees and 22 relatives) have left the country on Monday.

Intensive efforts are currently underway to get the remaining employees in Tripoli and the production facilities in the Libyan Desert out of the country.

"The safety of our local and international employees and their families is our highest priority," said Member of the Wintershall Board of Executive Directors, Dr. Ties Tiessen.

"All of our colleagues and their relatives, both in the Libyan Desert and in Tripoli, are safe and well. The developments in Libya will be observed closely.

In doing so, Wintershall is in constant contact with the German Foreign Office," he added.

Wintershall has been active in exploration and production in Libya, operates eight onshore fields around 1,000 kilometers southeast of Tripoli, one of Africa's biggest oil producers, since 1958.