TRIPOLI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Libya's state-owned National Oil Corporation (NOC) on Sunday warned against deterioration of the security situation in Zawiya oil refinery, some 40 km west of the capital Tripoli.
"NOC board of directors has alerted the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) and competent authorities regarding the recent lack of protection and security at the Zawiya refinery," said a statement of the NOC.
The NOC board warned that failure in ensuring staff and site security will affect ongoing operations and result in refinery suspension, the statement said.
Despite presence of the PFG, crimes took place in the refinery recently, including attacks on employees and hijacking of vehicles belonging to the refinery by gunmen, the statement said.
"We expect the most basic principles of security to be upheld by those guarding NOC facilities, and call upon the relevant authorities to remedy this inadequacy immediately," said NOC's Chairman Mustafa Sanalla.
Zawiya oil refinery is one of the largest oil refineries in Libya, refining more than 250,000 barrels per day, equivalent to a quarter of Libya's daily oil production.
