Drone attacks put Libya’s largest refinery at risk of closure
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) has warned that it could shut down the country’s largest operating refinery following repeated drone attacks on oil facilities in the western city of Zawiya.
The latest attack on Monday targeted an oil-blending and packaging plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company, according to the NOC. The drone fell near its main oil tank and a pipeline network used to manufacture products for the domestic market, but caused no casualties or material damage, according to the NOC.
“If these attacks continue, [the board] will be compelled to declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the refinery,” the state oil company said on Tuesday, urging firefighting and safety crews to remain on high alert.
The NOC said a previous strike hit a gasoline tank belonging to its subsidiary Brega Oil Marketing Company, igniting a major fire. The tank, which contained around 4.5 million liters of gasoline, later “collapsed completely,” it added.
On Saturday, a strike damaged a tank holding untreated naphtha, creating two holes and causing part of its contents to leak, the company reported.
“Any attack on these facilities constitutes a direct threat to the security and safety of the country and the resources of the people,” the NOC said.
The corporation declared the highest state of emergency in the area on Monday and called on the authorities to investigate the attacks and bring those responsible to justice. No group has claimed responsibility.
#Zawiya | Two fuel storage tanks at Brega Oil Marketing Company’s Zawiya Oil Depot .. one containing gasoline and the other kerosene .. were struck by an FPV drone, causing fires at the facility.
— Mohamed Elganga (@Elganga90) August 10, 2026
A damage assessment is ongoing.#zawiapic.twitter.com/vHx5aabr3Z
Located around 40 km west of the capital Tripoli, the Zawiya refinery can process about 120,000 barrels per day and is connected to the 300,000-barrel-per-day Sharara oil field. It is currently Libya’s largest functioning refinery.
The facility has previously been caught up in the country’s chronic insecurity. In December 2024, clashes between armed groups damaged several storage tanks and started major fires, prompting the NOC to declare force majeure – a provision allowing it to suspend contractual obligations in extraordinary circumstances.
Turmoil has plagued Libya since longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown with NATO support in 2011. The country remains divided between rival administrations in Tripoli and the east, while political disputes and armed unrest have repeatedly disrupted oil production.
In August 2024, the eastern-based authorities closed oil fields and terminals during a dispute over control of Libya’s central bank. The NOC lifted force majeure that October after an agreement on the bank’s leadership.
The renewed violence comes as Libya seeks to revive foreign energy investment. In 2025, the NOC launched the country’s first oil-and-gas exploration bidding round in 17 years, offering 20 onshore and offshore blocks.
