One of Libya’s main refineries in the west was shut down after clashes broke out between local armed groups early Sunday and a fire broke out across infrastructure, state oil company NOC said.
Several tanks caught fire at the Zawiya refinery, a town 45 kilometers west of Tripoli and the only one supplying fuel to the local market in western Libya, but the blaze was brought under control before it was brought under control, according to video posted on social media. Went.
Built in 1974, the Zawiya refinery, which is also a port terminal for the import and export of fuel, is the largest in the country after Ras Lanouf (North), with a refining capacity of more than 120,000 barrels per day.
The NOC announced the suspension of production in a statement, declaring “force majeure and a state of emergency level three (maximum degree) following the damage suffered to several tanks at the Zawiya refinery in the early hours of December 15.”
“Clashes with heavy and medium weapons broke out between armed groups on the perimeter of the refinery, leading to a serious fire, which was controlled by civil protection personnel,” according to the statement.
Libyan news sites reported one death and 10 injuries among the armed groups, without official confirmation.
“All fires caused by firing at the refinery’s tanks have been brought under control,” NOC spokesman Khaled Ghulam told Libya’s Al-Ahrar TV.
“We assure the residents of Zawiya and Tripoli that the fuel supply to the tanks of Brega Oil Distribution Company is safe and the delivery of gasoline to gas stations continues without interruption,” the official said.
Zawiya, the third largest city in Tripolitania after Tripoli and Misrata, is the site of violent and frequent fighting between armed groups. In May, clashes between rival gangs left one dead and a dozen injured before the intervention of dignitaries and tribal leaders.
According to the Libyan news agency Lana, classes at all schools and universities in Zawiya have been suspended. The coastal road linking the city to Tripoli has reopened after remaining closed until the morning.
Applied in exceptional circumstances, “force majeure” allows exemption of NOCs from liability in the event of non-compliance with oil delivery contracts.
Since the fall and death of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya, which has the most abundant hydrocarbon reserves in Africa, has struggled to extricate itself from more than a decade of chaos and division, in which the two rivals Governments are competing for power.
Blockades of oil and gas sites have occurred frequently in Libya in recent years, linked either to social grievances, security threats or political disputes.
Due to the slowdown and new investment in infrastructure, production, which had been around 1.2 million barrels per day for the past ten years, increased to 1.4 million barrels per day in early December (compared to 1.5 to 1.6 million before the 2011 uprising. ) ).