A major gasoline storage tank at the Zawiya oil refinery caught fire and collapsed on Monday after being struck in an attack [1].
The incident threatens the stability of fuel supplies in Libya, as the Zawiya facility is a primary refinery for the region west of Tripoli [1].
Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) and the state-owned Brega Petroleum Marketing Company reported the fire [1]. While some reports attribute the blaze to a drone strike [1], other sources said the circumstances remain unclear [2]. A spokesperson for the National Oil Corporation said, "The attack was carried out by unknown perpetrators" [3].
Officials reported that the damaged tank held between four million [4] and 4.5 million liters [5] of fuel. The magnitude of the fuel loss contributed to the intensity of the fire and the subsequent collapse of the storage structure [1].
Emergency crews responded to the facility to contain the blaze. The NOC warned that the security of the site is now a primary concern for continued production. An official from the National Oil Corporation said, "We may have to halt operations at the refinery if attacks continue" [1].
This event marks a significant disruption to the country's energy infrastructure. The Zawiya refinery is one of the most critical assets for domestic fuel distribution, making any prolonged shutdown a risk to national energy security [1].
“"The attack was carried out by unknown perpetrators."”
The attack on the Zawiya refinery highlights the ongoing vulnerability of Libya's energy infrastructure to targeted strikes. Because the facility is central to fuel distribution for the western region, continued instability or a total halt in operations could lead to widespread fuel shortages and economic volatility.
