Libya's oil sector on edge after repeated drone attacks

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.