UPDATED!! UPDATED 12:25 PM EDT -- ATTACKED AGAIN -- Largest Saudi Oil Facility Attacked - Reported "Burning"
Within the past hour, reports have begun flooding in saying there has been an attack on the Abqaiq oil facilities in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province — the largest Saudi oil facility.
The facility is reportedly "burning badly."
Saudi Aramco Abqaiq Plants facility is the company's biggest oil processing and crude stabilization facility.
With a capacity of 7 million barrels per day, the facility is the primary oil processing site for Arabian extra light and Arabian light crude oils.
The Abqaiq Plants facility handles crude pumped from the Ghawar field. It is linked to the Shaybah oil field through a 395-mile pipeline and to the export terminal in Yanbu through a natural gas liquid pipeline in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.
It is the largest crude oil processing and stabilization center in the world.
So much for restoring the free flow of oil from the Middle East . . .
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The Abqaiq oil field and processing plants in Saudi Arabia form the world's largest crude oil stabilization facility, processing a massive share of global energy supplies.
Facility Overview
Operator: Managed entirely by the state-owned national oil company, Saudi Aramco.
Location: Situated in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, adjacent to the giant Ghawar field.
Capacity: Handles a maximum processing capacity of approximately 7 million barrels of crude oil per day.
Global Importance: Processes roughly 5% to 7% of the total daily global oil supply.
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UPDATE 11:50 AM EDT --
The strike upon the Abqaig Plants facility took place at 06:45 UTC (2:45 AM eastern US Time) and the plant has been burning for NINE (9) HOURS!
A heavy, dense, black, smoke trail now extends ninety kilometers (90km) from the plant. It seems the damage is "very severe."
UPDATE 12:25 PM EDT --
The Abqaiq Plant has been ATTACKED AGAIN! More explosions. Larger and more numerous fires.
UPDATE:
The Yemeni military operation today is a major one.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is maintaining complete silence and secrecy.
