ALBAWABA- A drone struck a fuel storage tank at Libya’s Al-Zawiya oil refinery on Monday, causing a limited naphtha leak that was quickly contained.
Videos from western Libya show explosions and fire at a fuel tank inside the Zawiya refinery, about 40 kilometers west of Tripoli. The cause of the latest incident remains unclear.
The refinery is a strategically important energy facility, with a processing capacity of approximately 120,000 barrels per day and links to the Sharara oil field, one of Libya’s major oil-producing fields.
The incident comes just two days after the refinery reported that a drone had struck an untreated naphtha storage tank, puncturing it and causing a leak. That incident was contained without injuries or fire.
According to the Zawiya Oil Refining Company, the incident occurred on Saturday when an unidentified drone struck untreated naphtha tank No. 1-7 inside the refinery. The explosion created two holes in the tank, allowing the highly flammable petroleum product to leak.
Technical and emergency teams contained the leak, secured the affected area and prevented further escalation. The company said no personnel were injured and no fire broke out.
The refinery expressed concern over the presence of military equipment on its premises, warning that such activity poses serious risks to workers, infrastructure, and the surrounding environment. It called on all parties to keep the refinery and other critical energy facilities away from armed clashes.
The strike came amid renewed clashes between rival armed groups in Zawiya and nearby Surman. The refinery has previously been affected by fighting, including heavy clashes in May that forced a temporary shutdown and damaged storage infrastructure.
