Newsletters
Oil prices climbed more than 3% on Thursday after a drone targeting Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field killed two people and injured two others, adding to concerns over energy supplies as attacks on Saudi infrastructure intensified.
Brent crude, the international benchmark, traded at $112.30 per barrel, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to $99.9 per barrel as of 8:50 a.m. GMT. European gas prices also extended their rally, with futures rising 2.7% to €89.8 ($100.9) per megawatt-hour, building on gains that have pushed prices to their highest level since December 2022.
The casualties occurred after Saudi air defenses intercepted the drone as it attempted to strike a facility at the oil field in the kingdom's Eastern Province on Wednesday, according to the Saudi Energy Ministry. Falling debris started a fire in a vehicle belonging to a contractor working at the site, outside the facility's perimeter.
The two people killed were Filipino and Nepali nationals, while a Pakistani and an Indian national sustained injuries. Saudi authorities reported no disruption to operations at the oil field.
The incident came amid a broader wave of attacks on Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed on Monday that it had targeted several Saudi energy, airport and military sites, including the Shaybah oil field, a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha airport.
Saudi Arabia's Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting seven drones launched toward the kingdom on Wednesday, including drones targeting the Eastern Province, the southern region and the area around Madinah.
Another attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Wednesday killed two people and injured eight others, according to Saudi aviation authorities.
Washington ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia amid the growing threat from Houthi attacks.
The U.S. State Department pointed to the group's increasing attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, which had caused casualties and disrupted travel, according to department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
Pigott stressed that the ordered departure applied to Saudi Arabia only, rejecting reports of a broader evacuation order covering U.S. diplomatic missions across the Gulf. He added that the safety and security of department personnel and their families remained the department's "highest priority."
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh also issued a security alert warning that hostilities could escalate rapidly beyond the areas directly affected. It urged American citizens to monitor Saudi Civil Defense alerts and announced that U.S. government employees needed special authorization to use airports in Saudi Arabia.
The advisory reported that Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport remained suspended, while airports in Jeddah and Dammam continued operating amid some delays and cancellations.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
