Saudi oil refinery Aramco has halted operations at its Ras Tanura refinery after a drone strike hit the facility on Monday morning, according to people familiar with the matter. The refinery is among the largest in Saudi Arabia and can process 550,000 barrels of crude per day.
The plant is located on the Persian Gulf, was shut down on Monday as a precautionary measure as Aramco is assessing the damage. A blaze at this site was under control, they said. Videos and footages of the fire at the facility following a drone strike has emerged on social media.
Meanwhile, following the tensions in the Middle East, the prices of the Brent crude oil have surged to $80 per barrel. Aramco’s media office has not responded to the immediate comment on the incident.
The Ras Tanura oil refinery and terminal in Saudi Arabia was reportedly attacked by a drone, forcing Saudi Aramco to halt operations there.
The facility, one of the kingdom’s largest and most strategic energy sites, saw a fire break out in its processing complex following the… pic.twitter.com/njQKJPuQJP
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The trade has been halted through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries nearly a fifth of the world’s crude on a daily basis. Iran has been responding with retaliatory airstrikes from Israel to attacking the U.S. assets and military installations in GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Iran suffered a heavy loss after it lost its Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a pre-emptive strike launched by Israel last week.
Read more: Israeli strike on Iranian school kills over 100 children
The facility, one of the kingdom’s largest and most strategic energy sites, saw a fire break out in its processing complex following the strike.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia had warned Iran that it would retaliate in case of more strikes inside its territory. So far, Saudi Arabia has refrained from retaliatory strikes on Iran.
Iran is heavily targetting US military assests and installations in UAE and Bahrain, the most.
