Saudi Arabian state oil giant Saudi Aramco has shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery after a drone strike, following Tehran's launch of strikes across the region in response to a US and Israeli attack on Iran, Reuters reported, citing an industry source on Monday, writes UNN.
Details
The Ras Tanura complex, on the kingdom's Persian Gulf coast, is one of the largest refineries in the Middle East with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day and serves as a critical export terminal for Saudi oil.
It was closed as a precautionary measure, and the situation is under control, the source said.
Aramco did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The drone strike added to a wave of attacks in the Persian Gulf, including on Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama, and the commercial district of Duqm in Oman. The strikes paralyzed major shipping hubs in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, and Brent crude futures rose by about 10% on Monday.
Heavily fortified Saudi Arabian energy facilities have been targeted before, including in September 2019, when unprecedented drone and missile attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais plants temporarily paralyzed more than half of the kingdom's oil production and shook global markets.