Saudi Arabia: Drone attacks knocked out half its oil supply
Dubai: Yemen's Houthi rebels launched drone attacks on the world's largest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia and a major oil field Saturday, sparking huge fires and halting about half of the supplies from the world's largest exporter of oil.
The attacks were the latest of many drone assaults on the kingdom's oil infrastructure in recent weeks, but easily the most damaging.
They raise concerns about the global oil supply and likely will further increase tensions across the Persian Gulf amid an escalating crisis between the U.S. and Iran over its unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.
The attacks resulted in "the temporary suspension of production operations" at the Abqaiq oil processing facility and the Khurais oil field, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said in a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
The fires "were controlled," the statement said, and no workers were injured.
The fires led to the interruption of an estimated 5.7 million barrels in crude supplies, according to the statement, which said part of that would be offset with stockpiles. The statement said Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, would provide updated information in the next 48 hours.
The Iranian-backed Houthis, who hold Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and other territory in the Arab world's poorest country, took responsibility for the attacks in the war against a Saudi-led coalition that has fought since 2015 to reinstate the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
But the US blamed Iran, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeting, "There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen." "Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply," Pompeo added.
In a short address aired by the Houthi's Al-Masirah satellite news channel, military spokesman Yahia Sarie said the rebels launched 10 drones after receiving "intelligence" support from those inside the kingdom. He warned that attacks by the rebels would only get worse if the war continues.
"The only option for the Saudi government is to stop attacking us," Sarie said.
Houthi rebels have been using drones in combat since the start of the Saudi-led war.
The first appeared to be off-the-shelf, hobby-kit-style drones. Later, versions nearly identical to Iranian models turned up. Iran denies supplying the Houthis with weapons, although the UN, the West and Gulf Arab nations say Tehran does.
The UN investigators said the Houthis' new UAV-X drone likely has a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (930 miles). That puts the far reaches of both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in range.
First word of Saturday's assault came in online videos of giant fires at the Abqaiq facility, some 330 kilometers (205 miles) northeast of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Machine-gun fire could be heard in several clips alongside the day's first Muslim call to prayers, suggesting security forces tried to bring down the drones just before dawn.
In daylight, Saudi state television aired a segment with its local correspondent near a police checkpoint, a thick plume of smoke visible behind him.
President Donald Trump called Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to offer his support for the kingdom's defense, the White House said. The crown prince assured Trump that Saudi Arabia is "willing and able to confront and deal with this terrorist aggression," according to a news release from the Saudi Embassy in Washington.
Saudi Aramco describes its Abqaiq oil processing facility in Buqyaq as "the largest crude oil stabilization plant in the world." The facility processes sour crude oil into sweet crude, then transports it onto transshipment points on the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea or to refineries for local production. Estimates suggest it can process up to 7 million barrels of crude oil a day. By comparison, Saudi Arabia produced 9.65 million barrels of crude oil a day in July.
"This is one of the biggest central processing facilities in the world. The Iran conflict is going to be hitting the world in a new way," said Kevin Book, managing director, research at ClearView Energy Partners LLC.
The Khurais oil field is believed to produce over 1 million barrels of crude oil a day. It has estimated reserves of over 20 billion barrels of oil, according to Aramco.
There was no immediate impact on global oil prices as markets were closed for the weekend. Benchmark Brent crude had been trading at just above 60 a barrel.
While Saudi Arabia has taken steps to protect itself and its oil infrastructure, analysts had warned that Abqaiq remained vulnerable. The Rapidan Energy Group, a Washington-based advisory group, warned in May that "a successful attack could lead to a monthslong disruption of most Saudi production and nearly all spare production."
It called Abqaiq, close to the eastern Saudi city of Dammam, "the most important oil facility in the world."
The rebels have flown drones into the radar arrays of Saudi Arabia's Patriot missile batteries, according to Conflict Armament Research, disabling them and allowing the Houthis to fire ballistic missiles into the kingdom unchallenged. The Houthis launched drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's crucial East-West Pipeline in May. In August, Houthi drones struck Saudi Arabia's Shaybah oil field.
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I need not indulge in any revolution, have confidence, hope: D K Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka for the CM post, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he is with "utmost patience", and he has no need to indulge in any kind of revolution, as he believes in himself and has hope.
Asserting that he is neither interested in any kind of blackmailing for selfishness, nor is he interested in causing any trouble for the Congress, Shivakumar, who is also its state unit chief, said, though a "street fighter", his fight is never within the party.
Amid claims that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was using state intelligence to keep a tab on Shivakumar's camp through phone tapping during the ongoing power tussle, he stated that he doesn't know about it, and pointed out that the CM and Home Minister G Parameshwara have made statements on the issue.
"To this day, I have not spoken about the CM issue at any point. On matters concerning us, it is between me, the CM and the party high command. I have only said that we are party to the decision that has happened, other than that I have never said anything else," Shivakumar said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Others have been saying the post will become vacant, Dalits should get the post, others should get it. It is others who want the CM post to become vacant, wanting it to be given to Dalits and others. I have never spoken about it. Only if the post is vacant can it be given to anyone else. I have never spoken about the post becoming vacant."
Noting that he is the Congress state president, Shivakumar said he is aware of that responsibility and has always tried to ensure that no harm is caused to the party because of him and that discipline is not violated.
"Being the president of the party, sitting in this chair, no one should point out to me that I have done injustice from this position, killing the party. I don't want anyone to pass such comments against me in the future. So, I'm with utmost patience, I know what is all happening, whether it is right or wrong. I'm aware of it," he said.
Highlighting that the Congress party was built, nurtured and sacrificed for by a number of workers and leaders, including him, he doesn't want lakhs of party workers to be troubled because of him.
"They (workers) have made us sit in power. Neither am I interested in indulging in any kind of blackmail for my selfishness, nor am I interested in causing any trouble for the party," he added.
Replying to a question about his hesitation to comment on the CM change issue and when it might happen, Shivakumar merely said, "Time will answer, and decide."
He, however, did not wish to respond to reports about party leadership, including AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, top leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary K C Venugopal having held a discussion on the leadership issue in Karnataka. "I don't know. I haven't spoken or asked anyone," he added.
Shivakumar, who is hosting a dinner party for party legislators on March 10 to mark his six years as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, responded to a question about his continuation in the post by saying, "New blood should come, youngsters should come with fresh ideas."
"(Ministers) Parameshwara, H K Patil, Ramalinga Reddy and I became Ministers during our first term as MLAs. Our term is over, we are senior citizens, and new people should come....enough for me six years (as KPCC chief), others should also get an opportunity," he said.
Questioned whether he was speaking like a "Yogi," he said, "I'm a street fighter....I have come so far fighting; I know how to fight, but not for power. My fight is not within the party; I will fight outside the party. If anyone thinks I'm quiet, it is left to them."
Asked whether there will be some "Kranti" (revolution) after the budget, he said, "I need not do any Kranti. I have belief in myself, I have self-confidence. I always have hope.....I need not put in any effort; whatever has to come to me, it will come at the appropriate time. I have that confidence. I will meet you soon."
Responding to a question about Siddaramaiah's statement -- that if the BJP and JD(S) leaders have any "evil idea" to woo Shivakumar, it is their "daydream" -- the Deputy CM said, "He (the CM) said that out of his experience, he has seen me closely both when he was in another party and after joining Congress."
Asked whether there were any attempts by BJP and JD(S) to woo him, he said, "I will write a story about it some other time.....why speak about it now."
To a question, whether he accepts Siddaramaiah describing the bond between them as "milk and honey", Shivakumar said, "Of course. It was the same earlier, it is the same now, and it will be the same in 2028."
When pointed out that the bond between him and the CM doesn't seem to be cordial amid the ongoing power tussle, and after listening to some legislators supporting him, he said, "I want to request all the legislators, if they have any desire, that good things should happen to me, please keep quiet."
Accusing the opposition leaders of trying to "sour the relationship" between him and Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, earlier in the day, while rejecting phone tapping allegations, had asserted that such actions would not affect their relationship, which he described as being like "milk and honey."
