Drone strikes hit Libya’s Zawiya refinery

A drone strike hit a fuel storage tank at Libya’s Zawiya oil refinery, triggering a large fire and damaging critical fuel infrastructure. Company and local statements identified the affected unit as gasoline storage tank 402‑T, part of facilities operated by Brega Petroleum Marketing Company. The impact ignited a blaze that engulfed the tank and ultimately caused its collapse.

The damaged tank reportedly contained about 4.5 million litres of gasoline at the time of the strike. Authorities declared an extreme state of emergency at the site as firefighting teams worked to control the fire and cool adjacent tanks to prevent the flames from spreading across the storage area.

Visuals described in reports showed heavy smoke rising over the Zawiya area, underscoring the scale of the incident. Officials indicated that assessments of structural damage to surrounding infrastructure were underway as emergency crews continued operations at the scene.

The tank fire came two days after a separate drone incident at the same refinery. In that earlier case, a drone collided with an untreated naphtha storage tank, reported as tank No. 1‑7. The collision caused a naphtha leak but did not result in a fire or reported injuries.

Emergency teams contained the leak from the naphtha tank, limiting the immediate physical impact. However, the two incidents in quick succession highlighted the refinery’s exposure to drone activity and prompted heightened emergency responses around its storage and processing facilities.

Brega Petroleum Marketing Company, a subsidiary of the National Oil Corporation responsible for managing fuel supplies, operates the storage tank facilities involved in both events. The company’s role underscores the importance of these tanks to national fuel logistics.

The Zawiya refinery is one of Libya’s major refining assets, with an approximate processing capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. It is linked by pipeline to the Sharara oilfield, which has a reported capacity of about 300,000 barrels per day, positioning Zawiya as a key node in the country’s oil value chain.

Damage to gasoline storage infrastructure at such a facility raises concerns for refined product availability and broader operational continuity. Authorities and company teams are assessing the extent of the impact on storage capacity and on the refinery’s ability to handle incoming crude and deliver fuels.

While detailed operational data following the fire have not been disclosed in the reports, the combination of lost storage, fire damage, and emergency conditions suggests that Zawiya’s normal routines have been significantly disrupted in the near term.

Local and municipal statements also reported a drone strike on the Al‑Harsha desalination plant in Zawiya. The impact was said to have punctured a main pipeline and taken the facility out of service, with technical teams evaluating the damage.

The simultaneous targeting of an oil refinery and a desalination plant in the same region underscores pressure on both energy and water infrastructure. Authorities indicated that assessments of the desalination plant’s operational outlook are ongoing as repairs and safety checks proceed.

Together, the refinery tank fire, the earlier naphtha leak, and the desalination plant outage depict a concentrated hit to critical infrastructure around Zawiya, prompting sustained emergency measures and detailed damage evaluations.