Muscat, March 3 (.) An oil storage facility in the Omani port of Duqm was damaged on Tuesday after a UAV attack, the state-run ONA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing a security source.
There are no casualties, the damage to the storage is under control, the news agency added.
Qatar’s state-run energy giant QatarEnergy has suspended liquefied natural gas (LNG) production following drone attacks blamed on Iran, triggering a sharp spike in global gas prices across Europe and Asia.
The move came as Saudi Arabia confirmed it had temporarily shut down some units at the Ras Tanura oil refinery after a fire broke out in the wake of a separate drone strike.
In a statement, QatarEnergy said it had ceased production of LNG and associated products after its facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City were targeted.
“Due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City in the State of Qatar, QatarEnergy has ceased production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and associated products,” the company said.
The disruption sent shockwaves through global energy markets. Benchmark Dutch and British wholesale gas prices surged nearly 50 percent shortly after the announcement, while Asian LNG benchmark prices jumped almost 39 percent.
Earlier, Qatar’s Defence Ministry said two drones launched from Iran struck key infrastructure. “One drone targeted a water tank belonging to a power plant in Mesaieed, and the other targeted an energy facility in Ras Laffan Industrial City, belonging to QatarEnergy, without reporting any human casualties,” the ministry said.
It added that authorities were assessing the extent of the damage and would issue an official statement later.
Separate drone strikes also hit the broader Mesaieed industrial zone in southern Qatar — home to major petrochemical and manufacturing facilities — though it lies far from the country’s primary gas fields.
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Defence, in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, said two drones had “attempted to attack” the Ras Tanura refinery on Monday morning. The drones were intercepted, but a “small” fire broke out, prompting precautionary shutdowns at parts of the facility.
The coordinated attacks underscore the growing vulnerability of Gulf energy infrastructure and the immediate impact of regional tensions on global fuel markets.
The attacks on oil refinaries comes as the joint US-Israel attack on Iran has triggered retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, including on countries hosting US military bases. Strikes have hit urban centers, energy infrastructure, airports and hotels, shaking populations long used to relative security.
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