Zawiya Refinery Fire Rages After Third Drone Attack in Libya

ZAWIYA, Libya — August 11, 2026: Libyan firefighters continued efforts on Tuesday to control a major fire at the Zawiya refinery complex after a series of drone attacks targeted oil facilities in the city.

Two engineers at the site told Reuters that the fire remained intense but had not damaged Libya’s largest operating refinery. Three officials from Brega Petroleum Marketing, the company responsible for fuel supplies in Libya, also said the attacks and fire had not disrupted fuel or gasoline supplies.

Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) has warned that it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations at Zawiya if drone attacks against oil facilities in the city continue.

Third Drone Attack Targeted Oil Blending Plant

The latest attack took place on Monday and was the third reported drone strike over the weekend and into Monday.

According to NOC, the drone targeted an oil blending and filling plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company. The drone fell near a main oil tank and a pipeline network used to produce oils for the domestic market.

No casualties or material damage were reported from that attack.

Libya’s oil ministry said early Tuesday that another attack on the Zawiya complex caused a Brega-owned storage tank containing about 4.5 million litres of gasoline to catch fire and collapse.

Fire Contained to Storage Area

A Brega official told Reuters that nearby tanks were emptied as a precaution to prevent the fire from spreading. Firefighters also carried out cooling operations on the remaining tanks.

The series of attacks also targeted a desalination plant at the Zawiya complex, according to NOC.

Despite the scale of the fire, officials said fuel and gasoline supplies had not been affected.

No group has claimed responsibility for the drone attacks. Libyan authorities have also not publicly identified those they believe were responsible.

NOC Warns of Possible Operational Halt

NOC had earlier said it could stop operations at Zawiya completely following the latest attacks.

The refinery mainly supplies Libya’s domestic market, making the facility an important part of the country’s fuel network.

The warning comes as Libya continues to face instability linked to years of political and armed conflict. The country has remained divided between rival factions since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi 15 years ago.

Zawiya Refinery Has 120,000-Barrel Daily Capacity

The Zawiya refinery is located about 40 km (25 miles) west of Tripoli and has a processing capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.

The facility is connected to Libya’s 300,000-barrel-per-day Sharara oilfield.

The Zawiya area has experienced repeated armed clashes that have previously forced the refinery to shut down. The most recent shutdown occurred for several days in May.

Libya Holds Africa’s Largest Proven Oil Reserves

Libya has Africa’s largest proven oil reserves, but years of unrest have repeatedly disrupted the country’s oil production.

The country’s economy depends heavily on oil. Production has remained below its pre-2011 level of 1.6 million barrels per day.

However, Libya’s oil output reached 1.44 million barrels per day in June, the highest level recorded since 2013.

Meanwhile, Libya’s Ras Lanuf refinery, the country’s largest refinery, has remained idle since 2013.