JEDDAH 17 September 2019: In an unprecedented act of aggression and sabotage, petroleum facilities in the kingdom that are vital for global energy supplies were subjected to an attack on Saturday, September 14, which resulted in the suspension of approximately 50 per cent of Saudi Aramco’s production, as noted by the Ministry of Energy’s statement.
UAE is ready to cooperate with Saudi Arabia to face disruption to oil supplies, offered UAE Energy Minister.
Initial investigations have indicated that the weapons used in the attack were Iranian weapons. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the source of the attack, according to the statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Saudi Press Agency and Wam, the Kingdom condemns this egregious crime, which threatens international peace and security, and affirms that the primary target of this attack is global energy supplies, as this attack is in line with the previous attacks against Saudi Aramco pumping stations using Iranian weapons.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expresses its appreciation for the positions taken by the international community that have condemned and denounced this act. The kingdom calls upon the international community to assume its responsibility in condemning those that stand behind this act, and to take a firm and clear position against this reckless behavior that threatens the global economy.
As the investigations are ongoing, the Kingdom will invite UN and International experts to view the situation on the ground and to participate in the investigations.
The Kingdom will take the appropriate measures based on the results of the investigation, to ensure its security and stability. The Kingdom affirms that it has the capability and resolve to defend its land and people, and to forcefully respond to these aggressions.
UAE ready to help face disruption to oil supplies
ABU DHABI: Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, has affirmed the UAE’s full readiness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in facing any possible disruption to oil supplies.
“We have reached out to Saudi Arabia following the terrorist attack against two Saudi Aramco oil facilities to provide technical and logistical support. We are one team and our cooperation is continuing,” said Al Mazrouei in a statement to the Emirates News Agency, WAM, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry trade and business meeting between the UAE and Indonesia.
Al Mazrouei stressed his confidence in the ability of Saudi Arabia to overcome the consequences of this incident.
Saudi Arabia has a significant influence on the global energy sector because it produces about 10 percent of the world’s oil, he added, noting that the incident will affect the global oil market and could increase oil prices by over 10 percent, as Aramco is the world’s largest refinery and petrochemical complex.
Al Mazrouei further said that it is premature to call an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, without the request of Saudi Arabia, stressing the UAE’s commitment to OPEC’s decisions and affirming that it will not take any related action without the organisation’s approval.
He also praised the professional work of Aramco’s emergency response teams in handling the incident and their successful response to fires, which resulted in no casualties, reflecting the readiness of Saudi Arabia to deal with such emergencies.
Bapco refinery operations remain uninterrupted
MANAMA: The National Oil & Gas Authority,NOGA, announced that Bapco’s refinery operations remain uninterrupted, with no impact on the supply of oil products to the local market.
“All our facilities continue to operate safely and without incident. We keep our key stakeholders advised of what we will do in response to such incidents and update our plans as new and relevant information becomes available,” Noga said in a statement carried by Bahrain News Agency, BNA.
“We have close contact with our Aramco colleagues at the effected facilities and continue to assess the potential implications to our operations in Bahrain, and the crude supply to BAPCO’s refinery is uninterrupted to meet the operational requirements of the refinery in compliance with the measures adopted in the Business Continuity Plan.”
Bapco’s business continuity plans have been activated in response to the incidents reported from Saudi Arabia on September 14, Noga added.
“We develop and practice these plans in response to these kinds of incidents,” it concluded.
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