Libya’s National Oil Corporation announced on Friday that armed men had closed a valve on the main Hamada crude oil pipeline in the Rayayna area, disrupting supplies from the Hamada oil field to the Zawiya refinery in western Libya.

The corporation said the closure caused operating pressure to rise, forcing technical teams to suspend pumping to protect the pipeline and associated facilities.

It warned that a prolonged shutdown could result in the loss of approximately 15,000 barrels of crude oil per day intended for the refinery.

The company stressed that targeting the pipeline threatens the safety of oil infrastructure and the continuity of crude supplies.