The National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced today that it has been forced to shut down one of the refining units at the Zawia refinery—to keep the other unit operational for as long as possible. This is due to the continued forced closure of the Sharara crude oil pipeline valve by armed groups affiliated with the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG-Southwest) and the Western Military Zone.
The NOC said its specialised teams are currently evaluating plans to route a shipment of crude oil through one of the terminals (Mellitah or Es Sider) to supply the refinery and ensure its continued operation. This precautionary measure aims to avert repercussions that could affect fuel supplies to power plants—specifically the West Tripoli and Al-Harsha stations—which require a combined daily fuel supply of approximately 5,200 cubic meters.
The NOC reiterated its warnings regarding the consequences of continued obstruction of crude flow through the main pipeline. Such obstruction would have a direct negative impact on the state's public oil revenues, while also inflating the fuel import bill and harming the national economy.
