A drone attack sparked a fire at the Ruwais Industrial Complex in Abu Dhabi on March 10. The strike forced the shutdown of the world’s fourth-largest single-site refinery. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company operators acted swiftly to protect the facility and its workers.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi confirmed the incident immediately. The government media office stated that emergency teams responded to a fire at the facility after the drone attack. Officials added there were no injuries reported.
Refinery Halts Production as Safety Measure
The Ruwais refinery complex processes up to 922,000 barrels of oil per day. Industry monitor IIR Energy reported that Abu Dhabi National Oil Company shut the lone crude distillation unit at its 417,000 barrel-per-day Ruwais Refinery 2 West. The company also planned a full plant-wide safety shutdown. Meanwhile operations at the adjacent Ruwais Refinery 1 East continued at reduced levels after earlier cuts linked to the conflict.
A source familiar with the situation described the move. “The refinery has been shut as a precautionary measure,” the source told Reuters. The source added that all other operations at the complex continued normally.
Driver Witnesses Explosions During Evacuation
A driver working at the Ruwais industrial complex witnessed the aftermath. He told AFP that he picked up staff ordered to evacuate. “Just as we were about to leave we saw two more bursts of fire rising from the complex with loud sounds like explosions,” the driver said.
Company Assesses Damage After Shutdown
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company assessed damage at the site after the shutdown. People familiar with the matter said the company worked to determine the extent of impact while keeping the facility secure.
The attack formed part of a broader wave of strikes across the Gulf. Iran launched the assaults in response to US-Israeli actions that sparked the regional war. Similar incidents hit energy sites in Saudi Arabia Bahrain Kuwait and Qatar. Those events triggered production cuts and force majeure declarations.
Industry Leaders Warn of Catastrophic Effects
Saudi Aramco chief executive officer Amin Nasser addressed the wider disruptions earlier on March 10. Nasser warned of “catastrophic consequences for the world’s oil markets the longer the disruption goes on.” He added that the situation created “a severe chain reaction in not only shipping and insurance but there’s also a drastic domino effect on aviation agriculture automotive and other industries.”
Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari condemned the pattern of attacks. Al-Ansari called strikes on energy facilities “a dangerous precedent” that would cause repercussions throughout the world.
