Saudi Arabia confirms drone, missile attacks on Aramco oil port, facilities

Saudi Arabia confirms drone, missile attacks on Aramco oil port, facilities
March 8, 2021, 11:17 am

General view of Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia. (Reuters)

A drone attacked a Saudi oil port and a ballistic missile targeted facilities of energy giant Aramco in the country's east on Sunday, the energy ministry said.

A drone that was used to attack a petroleum tank farm at Ras Tanura port was launched from the sea, according to an official statement, while shrapnel from a ballistic missile fell near Aramco's residential area in Dhahran.Both attacks did not result in any injury or loss of life or property, authorities from Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry confirmed.

The source from the Saudi Arabian Energy Ministry said that the Kingdom affirms that these sabotage attacks are a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and that, to the extent that they are treacherous and cowardly targeting the Kingdom, they target, to a greater extent, the global economy,” a statement released by the Saudi Press Agency read.

“The Kingdom calls on the countries of the world and its organizations to stand against these acts, directed against civilian objects and vital installations, and which target the security and stability of energy supplies in the world, due to the impact of these actions on the security of petroleum exports, the freedom of global trade, maritime traffic, as well as exposing the coasts and territorial waters from major environmental disasters that could result from the leakage of petroleum or petroleum products,” added the statement citing the Energy Ministry spokesperson.

The Ras Tanura port in the east of Saudi Arabia is a major oil operations center for oil giant Saudi Aramco. was shut on Monday because of poor visibility and strong winds.

The last time Aramco facilities were targeted by Iranian-made drones came in September 2019 when its facilities in Abqaiq, near Dammam in the Kingdom's Eastern Province and Hijrat Khurais oilfield were hit by drones.

At the time, the drone attacks on Aramco facilities resulted in the halt of an estimated 5.7 million barrels of crude oil supplies, or about 50 percent of Aramco’s production.