Brega Oil and Gas Company said it had halted operations at Tripoli storage and evacuated it on Saturday due to heavy clashes in the city.

The company attributed that step, which it described as emergency plan, to the need to ensure the safety of consumers and to secure the company's facilities l.

It added that the intensified fighting on Saturday and the subsequent indiscriminate shelling threatened workers' lives, saying halting the operations and evacuating the storage facility was the only option.

"Fuel is available and distribution is going normal from Tripoli port, in addition; the gas is being distributed from Al-Hani depots as usual." The company remarked.

Armed clashes have intensified over the last few days, especially on Khallatat and Airport Road frontlines, which are close to the main Brega storage.

On November 19, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) called for an immediate ceasefire, following the renewed shelling of the company's storage facility at Airport Road in Tripoli.

The shelling caused a fire that was extinguished by firefighters before it could cause damage.

NOC chairman, Mustafa Sanallah commented by saying that without the expertise and courage of firefighters, the fire could have spread to hundreds of full gas cylinders ready to be distributed.

"We narrowly avoided a disaster. We call on all local and international parties to end hostilities immediately, in order to preserve national infrastructure and oil sector facilities, which belong to the Libyan people”, Sanallah added.