Saudi Arabia's energy network suffered significant damage from recent attacks that reduced the kingdom's oil production capacity by about 600,000 barrels per day and cut throughput on its East-West pipeline by roughly 700,000 bpd, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry official.
The assaults, which included earlier strikes on some facilities, disrupted operations across several sectors - oil, gas, refining, petrochemicals and electricity - and affected sites in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and the Yanbu Industrial City, according to the ministry source cited by state media.
Casualties were reported among Saudi energy personnel. One Saudi national who served in the industrial security force of the Saudi energy company was killed, and seven other Saudi employees were wounded in the attacks, SPA said.
The ministry source did not identify who fired the missiles. State authorities have previously said that Saudi Arabia has been targeted by hundreds of Iranian missiles and drones since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with most of those weapons intercepted. Tehran has also carried out strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab states that host U.S. military installations, a detail noted by Saudi authorities.
Infrastructure damage and production losses
One pumping station on the East-West pipeline was struck, cutting throughput on the route by approximately 700,000 bpd. The ministry source described the pipeline as currently a main corridor for supplying global markets.
Production capacity at specific oilfields was also hit. The Manifa oilfield sustained damage that reduced its capacity by around 300,000 bpd. A previous assault on the Khurais facility had already lowered capacity by another 300,000 bpd, bringing the combined reduction to about 600,000 bpd across those fields, the ministry source said.
Refining and processing hubs sustained damage as well. The attacks struck major refining operations including SATORP in Jubail, the Ras Tanura refinery, the SAMREF refinery in Yanbu and the Riyadh refinery. SPA said these impacts are directly affecting exports of refined products to global markets.
Processing facilities in Ju’aymah were reported to have been hit by fires, which affected shipments of liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas liquids. The cumulative effect of damage to upstream, midstream and downstream infrastructure has had consequences for both crude output and refined product flows.
Supply implications and inventories
The ministry source warned that continued attacks would further reduce supply and slow the recovery of disrupted operations, with negative implications for energy security among consuming countries and added volatility in oil markets. SPA said the disruption had already depleted a significant portion of operational and emergency inventories, limiting the kingdom's ability to offset supply shortfalls.
By affecting crude production, pipeline capacity and refinery operations, the strikes underscore the sensitivity of global energy supplies to damage in key producing and exporting states. Saudi Arabia, as the world's top crude exporter, occupies a central role in global crude markets; prolonged interruptions to its production or export routes could tighten available supplies and push price volatility higher, the ministry source cautioned.
What remains unclear
The ministry source did not provide details on the perpetrators of the latest strikes. While Saudi authorities have linked previous waves of incoming missiles and drones to Iranian forces in the context of the wider regional conflict, the official cited by state media refrained from attributing responsibility for these specific launches.
At the time of the report, SPA noted the operational and emergency stockpiles were already significantly drawn down, constraining short-term options to mitigate lost flows until damaged facilities and infrastructure can be repaired and inventories replenished.