Energy facilities across the Middle East came under attack Monday, forcing the temporary closure of Saudi Arabia’s largest domestic oil refinery following a drone strike, according to industry sources.
The escalating violence has now entered its third day, prompting energy companies to halt operations at facilities throughout the region as a safety precaution. Oil production in Iraqi Kurdistan has been largely suspended, while several major Israeli natural gas fields have also ceased operations, disrupting energy exports to Egypt.
Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery, which processes 550,000 barrels daily, was temporarily shuttered after the attack. The facility sits within a crucial energy hub along Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coastline that also functions as a key export terminal for the kingdom’s crude oil.
In northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region, energy companies including DNO, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, Dana Gas and HKN Energy have halted production at their oil fields as a safety measure. The region had been exporting approximately 200,000 barrels per day through a pipeline to Turkey’s Ceyhan port in February. Officials report no damage to the facilities.
Off Israel’s coast, Chevron’s massive Leviathan natural gas field suspended operations Saturday, while Energean also shut down its production vessel that services smaller gas fields in the area.
Saudi defense officials confirmed that two drones were intercepted at the Ras Tanura facility, with falling debris sparking a small fire. The Saudi defense ministry spokesperson told Al Arabiya TV that no personnel were injured in the incident.
“The situation at Aramco’s Ras Tanura refinery is under control,” a source familiar with the matter reported. Saudi Arabia’s state news agency said some refinery units were shut down as a precaution, but emphasized that fuel supplies to domestic markets remained unaffected.
The facility closures are heightening concerns about global energy supplies, particularly as shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly stopped following attacks on vessels Sunday. About 20 percent of the world’s oil consumption passes through this critical waterway. Brent crude oil prices jumped approximately 10 percent Monday, climbing above $82 per barrel.
Energy analysts view the Saudi refinery attack as a major escalation in regional tensions. “The attack on Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran’s sights,” said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
Soltvedt added, “The attack is also likely to move Saudi Arabia and neighbouring Gulf states closer to joining U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.”
This isn’t the first time Saudi Arabia’s heavily protected energy infrastructure has come under attack. In September 2019, drone and missile strikes on the Abqaiq and Khurais facilities temporarily eliminated more than half of the kingdom’s oil production. The Ras Tanura facility was previously targeted by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces in 2021.
