Saudi Arabia has confirmed that two pump stations on its East-West pipeline were attacked by armed drones, however, asserted that its supplies and exports of crude oil and products are operating normally without interruption. In a statement, Khalid A. Al Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, said that on Tuesday, 14th May 2019, between 06:00 and 06:30, Pump Stations Nos. 8 and 9 on the East-West pipeline, which carries Saudi oil from the Eastern Province to Yanbu port, were attacked by armed drones, igniting a fire that caused minor damage to Pump Station No. 8, but it was eventually brought under control.
Saudi Aramco took precautionary measures and temporarily stopped the operation of the pipeline, as it is evaluating the situation and working on restoring the operations of the affected pump station and the pipeline, according to the Saudi state news agency, SPA.
Al Falih asserted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns this attack, emphasising that the latest acts of terrorism and sabotage in the Arabian Gulf targeting vital facilities do not only target the Kingdom but also the security of oil supplies to the world and the global economy.
"These attacks prove again that it is important for us to face terrorist entities, including the Houthi militias in Yemen that are backed by Iran," the minister added.
