By Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab
CAIRO, April 9 (Reuters) – Attacks on Saudi energy facilities have cut the kingdom’s oil production capacity by around 600,000 barrels per day and the throughput on its East-West pipeline by about 700,000 bpd, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Thursday, citing an official source at the energy ministry.
The attacks, including previous strikes on some facilities, also disrupted operations at key oil, gas, refining, petrochemical and electricity sites in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Yanbu Industrial City, SPA said.
One Saudi national from the industrial security personnel of the Saudi energy company was killed and seven other Saudi employees were wounded in the attacks, SPA said.
The ministry source did not specify who launched the missiles.
Saudi Arabia has come under attack from hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, most of which were intercepted, authorities have said. Tehran has launched strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states that host U.S. military installations.
One of the pumping stations on the kingdom’s East-West pipeline was hit, reducing throughput by about 700,000 bpd, the ministry source said. The source described the pipeline as currently a main route for supplying global markets.
The Manifa oilfield was also hit, reducing production capacity by around 300,000 bpd, while a previous attack on the Khurais facility cut a further 300,000 bpd, bringing the total reduction in Saudi production capacity to about 600,000 bpd, the source added.
The attacks also hit major refining facilities, including SATORP in Jubail, the Ras Tanura refinery, the SAMREF refinery in Yanbu and the Riyadh refinery, directly affecting exports of refined products to global markets, SPA said. Processing facilities in Ju’aymah were also hit by fires, affecting exports of liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas liquids.
The strikes on key oilfields, pipeline infrastructure and refining hubs underscore the risks to global energy supplies as conflict spreads across the region. Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, plays a central role in global crude markets, and a prolonged disruption to its production, refining system or export routes could tighten supplies and add to price volatility.
The ministry source said continued attacks would reduce supply and slow recovery, affecting energy security for consuming countries and adding to volatility in oil markets. SPA said the disruption had already depleted a significant portion of operational and emergency inventories, limiting the ability to offset supply shortfalls.
(Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Enas Alashray; Editing by Chris Reese and Edmund Klamann)
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