Newsletters
Iranian drone strikes targeted two of Kuwait’s main oil refining sites early Thursday, triggering fires at both facilities and prompting air defense responses across the country.
The first attack hit an operational unit at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, causing a limited fire that was quickly brought under control without injuries.
Shortly after, a second strike targeted the Mina Abdullah refinery, also operated by Kuwait National Petroleum Company, triggering another fire at the site.
Brent crude prices jump to $119 per barrel on the news before easing to around $114, as escalating attacks across the Gulf raise concerns over oil flows.
Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery is Kuwait’s largest and oldest oil processing facility, located about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) south of Kuwait City along the country’s Gulf coastline. It serves as a central hub for refining and exporting crude oil products.
The refinery has a refining capacity of around 730,000 barrels per day, making it one of the largest in the region.
Mina Abdullah refinery, also located south of Kuwait City, is another key facility operated by Kuwait National Petroleum Company, with a refining capacity of around 490,000 barrels per day. Together, the two refineries have a combined processing capacity of roughly 1.2 million barrels per day.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said emergency response teams extinguished fires that broke out in operational units at both facilities following the drone attacks earlier in the day, adding that no injuries were reported.
Kuwait’s military confirmed that the country faced a broader wave of aerial threats the same morning. In a statement reported by the Kuwait News Agency, the General Staff said air defense systems were actively intercepting "hostile missile and drone attacks" targeting multiple locations.
Explosions were heard in several areas as interception systems engaged incoming projectiles, the statement said, adding that residents were urged to follow safety instructions issued by authorities.
The incident follows Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s South Pars Gas Field on Wednesday, one of the world’s largest natural gas sites, marking the first known strike on the country’s upstream energy infrastructure since the conflict began.
In response, Iran warned that energy facilities across Gulf countries could be targeted in retaliation, naming several oil and gas sites in the region as potential targets.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
