Overview
- A drone hit a gasoline/diesel storage tank at Zawiya on Monday, Aug. 10, destroying the tank that held about 4.5 million litres and sparking a large blaze firefighters are still trying to contain.
- Two days earlier a drone struck an untreated naphtha tank at the same complex, punching holes and causing a limited leak that emergency crews contained without injuries.
- The NOC declared a maximum emergency, demanded an immediate investigation, and said the series of strikes put workers and nearby infrastructure at serious risk.
- Refinery operators say Zawiya is still functioning and has not been fully suspended, but the site’s roughly 120,000 barrels-per-day capacity and the outage at Ras Lanuf mean Libyan fuel supply and insurance costs face added pressure.
- Zawiya has been a security flashpoint this year after a May shutdown from clashes, perpetrators of the recent strikes remain unidentified, and officials say they may declare force majeure if attacks continue.