Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil firm, has shut down its Ras Tanura refinery due to a fire caused by debris from an Iranian drone attack on the facility.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the fire was started by debris from the interception of two drones near the site.
According to the publication, the Ras Tanura oil refinery, one of of the world’s largest, sustained only minimal damage, citing a source from the energy ministry.
“The incident resulted in a limited fire, which was immediately contained by emergency response teams,” the report reads.
“No injuries or fatalities were reported. Some operational units at the refinery were shut down as a precautionary measure, without any impact on the supply of petroleum products to local markets.”
The Ras Tanura complex, on the kingdom’s Gulf coast, houses one of the Middle East’s largest refineries with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day (bpd).
This development reinforces the growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and could impact global oil prices, which are already trending upwards.