Saudi Arabia has temporarily halted some operations at energy facilities in its southern region bordering Yemen, following attacks on energy sites on Tuesday morning local time, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
“Several energy sector facilities and installations in the southern region of the Kingdom were targeted this morning,” the agency said, quoting an official source at the Ministry of Energy.
The attacks caused fires at several locations, leading to a temporary halt in some operations, Saudi Arabia said, adding that “specialized field teams have begun containing the fires, securing the sites, and assessing the damage.”
The attacks injured several residents, the Saudi news agency said, without specifying which energy sites were targeted and which operations were disrupted.
The “authorities are continuing to address the repercussions of the attacks and are taking the necessary measures to ensure the safety of facilities and personnel, as well as the continuity of operations in accordance with approved operational plans,” Saudi Arabia said.
Just over six months into the U.S.-Iran war, Iran’s allies in Yemen, the Houthis, threatened in July Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, putting additional pressure on energy operations and flows in the Middle East. The Houthis have also targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan oil refinery on the Red Sea coast in southwest Saudi Arabia multiple times since July.
The latest attack on the 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery took place on Monday, threatening the major Red Sea refining hub while Saudi Arabia is moving more oil west to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
The attack on Saudi energy sites on Tuesday came as oil prices continue to march up toward the $100 per barrel mark, as hopes for peace in the Middle East continue to shrink amid renewed mutual threats between the United States and Iran.
In Asian trade on Tuesday, Brent Crude was nearing $99 per barrel, at $98.70, while WTI Crude had topped $94 a barrel, rising by 2.89% to $94.12.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
