(Oct 27): Saudi Arabia contained a fire near its biggest oil export terminal at Ras Tanura on the Persian Gulf following an attack in the region, a person with knowledge of the matter said.

The blaze occurred during the early hours of Tuesday near facilities operated by state producer Saudi Aramco, the person said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. The extent of the damage wasn’t immediately clear.

The company’s press office and the kingdom’s Energy Ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure has come under repeated attacks from Yemen’s Houthi militants in recent weeks, with Aramco’s headquarters, a major oil field and refineries in the kingdom’s western region targeted. Ras Tanura, located in the east, hosts crucial facilities for loading oil tankers, plus the kingdom’s biggest refinery and a swathe of storage tanks.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that air defences intercepted and destroyed three ballistic missiles launched by the Houthis towards the kingdom’s eastern region.

Oil reversed earlier losses, with Brent crude trading near US$116 (RM473.59) a barrel in London. Prices have jumped about 13% so far this month as traders weigh the potential for a resumption of fighting between the US and Iran. 

Both sides have held off major military operations in recent weeks, while Saudi Arabia has suffered attacks from Iran-backed groups like the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq.

When the conflict began in February, Aramco began sending the bulk of its exports from its Red Sea coast after Iran blocked much of the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In recent weeks, the company has been stepping up crude exports from the Persian Gulf again. 

That’s partly because tanker operators have been finding ways to restore shipping flows through Hormuz, with traffic reaching almost prewar levels. It also reflects growing Houthi threats to shipping and ports in the Red Sea.

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