Middle EastTankers

Saudi Aramco says pipeline hit by armed drone attack

After two of its tankers were hit by suspected explosive devices on Sunday off Fujairah, Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil and gas company by revenue, said Tuesday it had suffered an attack by armed drones, forcing it to temporarily shut down one of its pipelines. 

Saudi Aramco officials responded to a fire at East West Pipeline pump station 8, which the company stated was caused by a “sabotage incident” using armed drones. 

No injuries or fatalities have been reported. 

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister Khalid al-Falih said today Yemen’s Houthis were to blame for the “limited” attack.

On Sunday two Saudi tankers belonging to Aramco’s Bahri were among four ships hit by explosive devices, sparking security concerns around the port and the key Strait of Hormuz. 

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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