Saudi Arabia halted some operations at its massive Ras Tanura refinery Monday after a reported Iranian attack caused a fire at the complex, its Energy Ministry said.
"Some operational units at the refinery were shut down as a precautionary measure, without any impact on the supply of petroleum products to local markets," the ministry said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The closure of the units at the plant comes as a wave of attacks on the region stretched into a third day, resulting in the precautionary suspension of most oil production in Iraq's semi-autonomous northern region and at several major Israeli gas fields, throttling exports to Egypt.
It also follows a barrage of Iranian retaliatory strikes targeting several neighboring countries in response to Israeli-U.S. attacks, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the weekend.
Ras Tanura is the largest refinery of oil-rich Saudi Arabia, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
The refinery was shut after a drone strike, a source told Reuters. The situation is under control, the source added.
The Saudi Aramco-run facility produces 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) and was partially shut down as a precautionary measure. It is part of an energy complex on the kingdom's Gulf coast, which also serves as a critical export terminal for Saudi crude oil.
Two drones were intercepted at the facility, with debris causing a limited fire, a Saudi Defense Ministry spokesperson told Al Arabiya TV, adding that there were no injuries.
Aramco did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The refinery's partial closure will likely add to supply anxieties as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of global oil consumption flows, grinds to a near-halt after vessels were attacked around it Sunday.
Brent crude futures surged roughly 10% Monday to over $82 a barrel.
"The attack on Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery marks a significant escalation, with Gulf energy infrastructure now squarely in Iran's sights," said Torbjorn Soltvedt, principal Middle East analyst at risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
"The attack is also likely to move Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf states closer to joining U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran."
