Fires at Libya's Zawiya Refinery Brought Under Control, NOC Says

General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
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Fires at Libya's Zawiya Refinery Brought Under Control, NOC Says

General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo
General view of the Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli, Libya July 14, 2022. REUTERS/Hazem Ahmed/File Photo

Fires that broke out in a number of reservoirs in Libya's Zawiya refinery have been brought under control, Khaled Abulgasem Gulam, spokesperson for the country's National Oil Corporation (NOC), said in a statement on Sunday.

Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000 bpd Sharara oilfield.

Teams at the refinery are transferring the remaining contents to other reservoirs, Gulam said, Reuters reported.

Earlier on Sunday, NOC declared force majeure after reservoirs at the Zawiya refinery were severely damaged due to ongoing clashes between armed groups in its vicinity.

There was no immediate indications of who was involved in the violence or the reason for it.

NOC posted pictures on Facebook showing firefighting teams extinguishing the fires.

Libya's oil sector, a major source of income for the country, has been a target for local and broader political protests as well as security unrest since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.



Syria's Sharaa Heads to UAE for Second Visit to a Gulf Country as Leader

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
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Syria's Sharaa Heads to UAE for Second Visit to a Gulf Country as Leader

Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends an interview with Reuters at the presidential palace, in Damascus, Syria March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa will travel to the United Arab Emirates for his second visit to a Gulf state as president on Sunday, Syria's official news agency reported.

Sharaa will be accompanied by foreign minister Assad al-Shibani, who visited the UAE earlier this year.

They are expected to discuss issues of mutual interest, the SANA state news agency reported.

Sharaa visited Saudi Arabia in February on his first foreign trip since assuming the presidency in January.

According to Reuters, the West is watching Syria's leaders closely to ensure they create an inclusive government with effective institutions, maintain order in a country fractured by civil war and prevent a resurgence of ISIS or al Qaeda.

Syria is in desperate need of sanctions relief to revive its economy after 14 years of war, during which the United States and Europe imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Assad's regime.