The National Oil Corporation and the Azzawiya Oil Refining Company have confirmed that Libya’s strategically important Zawiya refinery has resumed full operations following a brief emergency shutdown caused by armed clashes near the facility. In an official statement, the company said the refinery has returned to its normal production capacity of approximately 120,000 barrels per day, restoring a critical component of fuel supply infrastructure in western Libya.
According to preliminary assessments conducted after the fighting subsided, several heavy projectiles landed داخل the refinery complex during the clashes, but authorities confirmed that no major structural damage occurred in key refining units, storage facilities, or operational systems. The refinery has also resumed receiving crude oil supplies from the Sharara oilfield, Libya’s largest producing field with an estimated capacity of 300,000 barrels per day.
Officials stated that fuel supplies to Tripoli and surrounding western regions remained stable during the brief disruption due to the availability of strategic reserves, which helped prevent shortages.
The shutdown had been implemented on May 8 as a precautionary measure after intense shelling struck multiple locations داخل the facility during the early morning hours. Security officials said the clashes occurred during a large-scale operation carried out under judicial orders targeting groups suspected of involvement in fuel smuggling, human trafficking, and organized criminal activities in and around Zawiya.
At the height of the clashes, refinery management evacuated all non-essential personnel and instructed oil tankers to move away from the port area to reduce the risk of explosions, environmental damage, or broader industrial impact.
The Zawiya refinery remains one of the most important pillars of Libya’s energy infrastructure, serving as the main fuel processing hub for western Libya and acting as the coastal endpoint of the pipeline linking the Sharara oilfield in the south to export and refining facilities along the Mediterranean coast.
Maintaining operations at the refinery is considered essential for ensuring domestic fuel distribution and supporting economic stability, particularly as recurring insecurity continues to threaten oil production and transport infrastructure.
Following the clashes, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya renewed calls to protect civilian and economic infrastructure, warning that critical facilities such as refineries and oil terminals must not become battlefields.
The rapid resumption of operations is expected to ease immediate concerns over fuel availability and export disruptions, although analysts warn that ongoing instability in western Libya continues to pose risks to the country’s oil sector and broader economic recovery.
