The Tuesday morning production report showed that output from Spanish oil and gas company Repsol's El Sharara field had risen to 90,000 bpd accounting for the bulk of the latest upturn in flows, he said. 

"I believe by mid-2012 production will be very close to the big number," said Berrouin, hinting output could return to pre-war levels far earlier than expected. 

Libya produced around 1.6 million bpd before the civil war, exporting around 85 percent of its output to Europe. NOC sources say exports could rise to around 350,000 bpd in November.

Repsol's field is being used to feed Libya's western Zawiya refinery, which is operating at around 70 percent of its 120,000 bpd capacity.  

Libya's 220,000 bpd Ras Lanuf refinery remains offline, but is expected to start by the end of November.  

The oil chief said that raising flows had been facilitated by the reappearance of equipment that had apparently been looted from oil fields. 

Many valuable items turned out to have been stored in people's homes for protection, Berrouin said, which reflected their staunch support for Libya's oil fields, the country's primary source of income and hope for a rapid post-war recovery. 

But time had also been saved by offering rewards for other items — including cars, generators and so on — that had gone missing and been returned.  

The community spirit shown by locals would save the NOC millions, the oil chief said. He added that costs triggered by the war would fall within a few hundred million dollars and not reach the billion-dollar mark as feared. 

International oil companies would contribute to the recovery by providing materials, particularly in cases where items were particularly difficult to source from abroad.  

Worries about security remain a key deterrent for oil companies eager to send foreign workers back to Libya, and assembling a force capable of defending installations spread out across the country's vast stretches of Sahara were a priority, Berrouin said. 

"Every field and terminal has made a study and we are working out a budget," the oil man said. 

Plans were rapidly taking shape and thousands of former rebel fighters would be trained and united under an umbrella oil field and installation guard.  

Berrouin declined to say how many would join the guard but said it would number more than 5,000. 

"Service company workers tend to work on remote fields and we need all installations to be protected," said Berrouin. 

Foreign oil companies are anxious about Libya's security proposals, with many demanding protection by Western companies, believing they will provide better security.  

They are also reluctant to wait for the government to provide the troops required to secure vast and remote outposts in a process they say could take months.