Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the Zawiya refinery if drone attacks on oil assets in the city continued, after reporting a third such attack over Sunday and Monday.
A fire in a storage tank burns as firefighters work to control the blaze, at an oil refinery in Zawiya, Libya August 10, 2026, in this still image from video obtained by Reuters
Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the Zawiya refinery if drone attacks on oil assets in the city continued, after reporting a third such attack over Sunday and Monday.
NOC said the latest drone targeted an oil blending and filling plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company, falling near its main oil tank and a pipeline network used to produce oils for the domestic market. No casualties or material damage were reported.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, and authorities did not say who they believed was behind them.
Zawiya refinery, around 40 km (25 miles) west of Tripoli, has a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is connected to the country's 300,000-bpdSharara oilfield. It is currently Libya's largest operating refinery, with Ras Lanuf out of operation.
NOC said the latest attack was the third targeting oil assets in Zawiya over Sunday and Monday.
On Monday, a fire accompanied by heavy smoke broke out in a fuel tank at an oil depot at the Zawiya refinery after it was struck, Brega Petroleum Marketing Company said.
Libya's oil ministry also said on Tuesday that the tank, which belonged to Brega and contained about 4.5 million litres of gasoline, caught fire and collapsed. It said a series of drone attacks had targeted the Zawiya oil complex and refinery as well as a desalination plant.
NOC had said in a separate statement on Monday that the tank was "directly targeted" and declared a state of extreme emergency in the area, calling on authorities to intervene immediately and investigate the incident.
Unverified footage posted online showed huge flames and thick black smoke billowing over Zawiya.
Two engineers working at the refinery had said on Monday that operations had continued without suspension.
Early on Saturday, a drone crashed into an untreated naphtha tank at the Zawiya refinery, causing a leak that staff managed to control.
Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli, Ahmed Elumami and Enas Alashray
A Tunisian judge on Saturday ordered the detention of prominent journalist Mohamed Yousfi, an outspoken critic of President Kais Saied, hours after police arrested him in what critics said was an attempt to stifle dissenting voices.
Spain has found no evidence to conclude that July's deadly border rush from Morocco into its enclave of Ceuta was orchestrated by Moroccan authorities, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Thursday, countering allegations in a Spanish police report.
Foreign weapons, military technology, fighters and logistical networks are helping sustain Sudan's conflict and expanding the warring parties' ability to strike distant civilian areas with drones, a U.N. fact-finding mission said on Thursday.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.