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Libya's NOC warns of force majeure, Zawiya refinery shutdown if drone attacks continue
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Al-Monitor
TRIPOLI, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Tuesday it could declare force majeure and completely halt operations at the Zawiya refinery if drone attacks on oil assets in the city continued, after reporting a third such attack over Sunday and Monday.
NOC said the latest drone targeted an oil blending and filling plant operated by the Zawiya Oil Refining Company, falling near its main oil tank and a pipeline network used to produce oils for the domestic market.
Zawiya refinery, around 40 km (25 miles) west of Tripoli, has a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day and is connected to the country's 300,000-bpdSharara oilfield.
It said a series of drone attacks had targeted the Zawiya oil complex and refinery as well as a desalination plant.
Early on Saturday, a drone crashed into an untreated naphtha tank at the Zawiya refinery, causing a leak that staff managed to control.