Libya's NOC warns of force majeure at Zawiya oil complex

Libya's National Oil Corporation warned Tuesday it may declare force majeure at the Zawiya oil complex following repeated drone attacks. The state-owned company announced a state of maximum emergency at the western refinery after a drone strike ignited a storage tank containing approximately 4.5 million liters of gasoline late Monday. Oil facilities in Zawiya, located roughly 40 kilometers west of Tripoli, have come under sustained assault for three consecutive days since Sunday amid clashes between rival armed groups in the area.

Infrastructure damage and safety response

In a statement issued late Monday, the corporation said oil facilities in Zawiya "continue to be subjected to sabotage attacks by remotely operated drones," adding that a drone targeted the lubricant blending plant. The strike landed near the facility's main lubricant storage tank and pipeline network used to produce lubricants for the domestic market, though the corporation reported no casualties from the latest incident. Firefighting and safety teams from the Zawiya refinery, Brega and neighboring oil companies were continuing efforts to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading, the company said.

Legal status and national responsibility

The corporation stressed that protecting oil facilities, their workers and production continuity constituted "a shared national responsibility," warning that attacks on the infrastructure posed "a direct threat to the country's security and safety." The warning came as the company evaluated complete operational shutdowns under force majeure provisions. Under Libya's oil contracts, force majeure represents a legal status relieving contracting parties of obligations when extraordinary circumstances prevent fulfillment of commitments.

Political backdrop

Last week, clashes between armed groups in Zawiya spread to the nearby city of Surman, leaving casualties and resulting in a prison break. Libya remains divided between the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, and a rival administration appointed by the House of Representatives and headed by Osama Hammad in Benghazi. The UN Support Mission in Libya has been seeking to resolve political disputes that have delayed national elections, which Libyans hope will help end years of political division and armed conflict following the 2011 overthrow of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi.