Libya’s state oil company said the 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) Zawiya oil refinery complex in a city west of Tripoli was severely damaged as a result of skirmishes.
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) condemned the incident and described it as “criminal and irresponsible actions”. It said the oil sector “represents the livelihood of the Libyan state.”
Libya’s oil sector, the country’s only vital income, has been disrupted by unrest since the toppling of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi a decade ago.
Zawiya city, some 40 km (25 miles) west of Tripoli, is the home of Libya’s biggest functioning refinery. It is connected to Sharara field, which has a capacity of around 300,000 bpd.
Reports of security unrest in the city were circulated on the internet, but no immediate comments were available by authorities.
NOC said the damages included eight storage tanks for petroleum products and crude oil, and another five tanks for base oils and chemical additives.
More damage happened at a mineral oil mixing and filling plant, which resulted in the leakage of large quantities from storing base oil, NOC added.
“Such criminal acts cannot be accepted in or near our sites,” NOC chairman Mustafa Sanalla said. “Many of our facilities have been sabotaged during the past years as a result of clashes.”
For more information visit www.lnoc-us.com
