Libya is set to deploy special forces to protect the petrol stations in the country’s capital as it struggles to meet the motorists’ demand.
Lack of fresh petrol supplies resulted in kilometres-long queues outside Tripoli petrol stations for nearly two weeks.
The state oil firm National Oil Corporation has blamed the lack of security at the stations for shortages in refilling the tanks.
Libya has been struggling with violence and social unrest following the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The government has been forced to use its two offshore fields to keep the Zawiya refinery running after protesters closed the supplying El Sharara oilfield.
The country’s exports of oil have fallen to less than 200,000 barrels per day (bpd)from 1.4million bpd when the protests started in July.