Overview
- A drone hit gasoline Tank 402‑T at the Zawiya complex, which was struck Monday, igniting a large blaze that burned through the night and caused the 4.5 million‑litre tank to collapse.
- Firefighters and refinery emergency teams have been containing leaks and cooling adjacent tanks, and health services reported no serious injuries with most cases limited to smoke inhalation.
- Libya’s National Oil Corporation declared a “maximum emergency” and warned it may suspend Zawiya operations or declare force majeure if the attacks continue.
- Accounts differ on short‑term impact: on‑site engineers say the main refinery sustained limited damage and national output was not immediately hit, while Brega and other spokespeople reported a partial depot shutdown and local fuel supply disruptions in western Libya.
- Zawiya is the country’s largest operating refinery with about 120,000 barrels per day capacity and a link to the Sharara field, and the strikes underline Libya’s fractured security environment that could push up market volatility and hit ordinary people who rely on steady fuel supplies.