Libya’s National Oil Corporation has warned that it may declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the Zawiya oil complex following a series of targeted drone strikes on its western infrastructure. The warning follows the declaration of a state of maximum emergency at the refinery after a remotely operated drone hit a storage tank containing approximately 4.5 million liters (1.2 million gallons) of gasoline, igniting a massive blaze.
The incident marks the third consecutive unmanned aerial attack on the facility—located 40 kilometers west of Tripoli—within a three-day span. A separate strike targeted a lubricant blending and filling plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company, impacting areas near the main lubricant storage tank and the pipeline distribution network critical for the domestic market. Emergency firefighting units from the Zawiya refinery, Brega, and adjacent energy firms were deployed to contain the flames and prevent further destruction across the industrial perimeter.
The deployment of remotely operated aerial systems against high-value energy assets highlights a growing tactical threat to strategic infrastructure amid ongoing regional instability. National energy officials emphasized that the protection of critical distribution networks remains a fundamental security priority, cautioning that continued strikes jeopardize national production stability. Under standard oil sector agreements, invoking force majeure legally releases contracting entities from delivery obligations due to unmanageable external disruption. The technological escalation occurs against the backdrop of broader military clashes between armed factions in the region, which recently expanded to the nearby city of Surman.
