Saudi Oil facility attacked
An explosion rocked Saudi Arabia’s huge Abqaiq oil facility in the east of the kingdom on Friday and an official said Saudi forces had thwarted suicide bomb attacks against the world’s biggest oil exporter.Oil jumped more than $2 (1.14 pounds) a barrel. Al Qaeda leaders have previously called for attacks on oil fields in Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally.
A security source said suicide bombers had tried to storm the facility in the mainly Shi’ite province, known locally as Baqiq, and site of one of Saudi Arabia’s main oilfields.
“Security forces foiled an attempted suicide attack at the Abqaiq refinery using at least two cars,” the official said.
Dubai-based television station Al-Arabiya said Saudi forces killed the attackers. It quoted witnesses saying there was shooting.
Al Arabiya said the cars used by the attackers had the logo of Saudi state-owned oil company Aramco on them and that one car exploded at the gate to one refinery mid-afternoon.
Al Arabiya said a fire at a pipeline from the blast was now under control.
It was not clear if there was any impact on output from the world’s top oil producer and a close U.S. ally.
A disruption of exports from Abqaiq would be a huge deal, even if it only lasted a short time oil prices would jump precipitously. The most obvious, and most likely culprit is an Al Qaeda cell or linked group, but Iran also greatly benefits by this reminder of how vulnerable oil supplies are.
