Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s state oil company Saudi Aramco shut its Ras Tanura refinery after a drone strike hit the facility, an industry source said on Monday. The move follows a third day of regional strikes launched by Tehran in response to a U.S. Israeli attack on Iran.
The Ras Tanura complex sits on the kingdom’s Gulf coast. It houses one of the Middle East’s largest refineries with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day. The site also serves as a key export terminal for Saudi crude.
Authorities closed the refinery as a precaution. A source said the situation remains under control. The Saudi defence ministry spokesperson told Al Arabiya TV that two drones were intercepted at the site. Falling debris caused a limited fire. Officials reported no injuries.
The attack has raised supply concerns. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed sharply after vessels faced attacks nearby on Sunday. Around one fifth of global oil consumption flows through the strait. Brent crude futures surged about 10 percent on Monday.
The strike forms part of a wider wave of attacks across the region. Targets included Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Manama, and Oman’s commercial port of Duqm. In Iraq’s Kurdistan region, operators halted most oil production over the weekend as a precaution. The region exported about 200,000 barrels per day to Turkey in February.
Saudi energy facilities have faced attacks before, including major strikes in 2019 and an assault on Ras Tanura in 2021.
