Libya’s Zawiya Refinery Hit By Drones, NOC Warns Of Possible Shutdown

Libya’s largest operating refinery, the Zawiya refinery, was hit by drones on Monday evening, triggering a large fire and prompting the country’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) to warn that it could declare force majeure and suspend operations if attacks continue, Al Jazeera reported.

Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service said on Tuesday that there were no “serious injuries” from the fire, with most patients treated for smoke inhalation.

The refinery is located about 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital, Tripoli.

In a statement shared on Facebook, the NOC said the fire broke out on Monday evening at tank 402-T, operated by the Brega Oil Company.

The tank contained about 4.5 million litres (1.2 million gallons) of gasoline and was “directly targeted, resulting in a severe fire before the tank completely collapsed”, the NOC said.

The NOC said the attack followed drone strikes on a water desalination plant at the refinery on Sunday and a naphtha reservoir on Saturday.

The company declared a “maximum emergency” in the area and called on authorities to investigate the attacks and bring those responsible to justice.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, and the NOC did not say who it believed was behind them.

Hours later, the NOC said the refinery was “still being subject to sabotage attacks”, with a drone targeting an oil blending and filling plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company.

The drone fell near the refinery’s main oil tank and a pipeline network used to produce oils for the domestic market, the NOC said, adding that there were no casualties or damage.

“The company’s board of directors also confirms that if these attacks continue, it will have to declare a state of force majeure and suspend operations at the refinery,” the NOC said.

The Brega Oil Company called on “all parties to stop the fighting and stay away from oil facilities and depots”.

It said oil facilities were “vital infrastructure and owned by all Libyans” and that protecting them was “a national responsibility that does not tolerate any negligence”.

The attacks highlight the continuing security challenges in Libya, where rival administrations and armed groups have retained influence despite a 2020 ceasefire that halted major fighting.

Libya has been divided since 2014, following years of political turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Two governments are currently vying for power: the United Nations-recognised administration in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

In a statement, the Tripoli-based government said Dbeibah had met earlier on Tuesday with senior officials, including the interior minister and the chiefs of several armed groups in the capital, to discuss the latest security developments.

Dbeibah “stressed the need to deal firmly with any transgressions or actions that threaten security or harm vital facilities and installations”, the statement said.

Separately, a Libyan parliamentary panel condemned the attack and called for stronger protection of oil installations.

“The House of Representatives’ Energy and Natural Resources Committee condemns in the strongest terms the criminal attack targeting the Zawiya Refinery, one of the most vital facilities in the oil and gas sector that is a cornerstone of the national economy,” it said in a statement.