Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, Aramco, has closed its Ras Tanura refinery after a drone strike, as per an industry insider on Monday. The Ras Tanura facility, located on the Gulf coast of the kingdom, is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, capable of processing 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) and serving as a vital export hub for Saudi crude oil. The shutdown was a precautionary step, and the situation is currently managed, confirmed the source. Aramco has not yet responded to requests for comment via email.
The drone attack is part of a series of strikes in the Gulf region, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama, and the commercial zone of Duqm in Oman. These attacks have disrupted major shipping centers in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, leading to a significant spike of approximately 10% in Brent crude futures on Monday.
Saudi Arabia’s well-guarded energy installations have faced previous attacks, notably in September 2019, when unprecedented drone and missile strikes on the Abqaiq and Khurais plants caused a temporary halt to over half of the kingdom’s oil production, causing turbulence in global markets.