Oil tanker hit by blast at Saudi terminal, Saudi Arabia confirms
An explosion damaged a Greek-managed tanker at a Saudi Arabian terminal on the Red Sea just north of the Yemeni border, the ship’s manager said on Wednesday, in an attack confirmed by Saudi Arabia, Reuters reports.
In a statement published by state media, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen said a commercial vessel suffered minor damage from shrapnel in what it described as a foiled terrorist attack.
British maritime security company Ambrey said earlier that the Maltese-flagged tanker Agrari, managed by TMS Tankers, was damaged by a mine while berthed at the al-Shuqaiq Steam Power Plant (SSPP).
A TMS company source told Reuters: “I can’t confirm what exactly the cause was. It is possible [that it was from a mine], certainly, it was a blast. We have nobody injured, there is no spill or pollution. The ship is in good condition, everyone is ok.”
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) separately said it was aware a vessel had experienced an explosion at Shuqaiq in Saudi Arabia while operating at an oil-fired power plant there. It said investigations were ongoing.
The Agrari is an Aframax crude oil tanker, data on TMS Tankers website showed.
The blast follows a number of recent security incidents concerning Saudi oil infrastructure.
Yemen’s Houthi group on Monday claimed a strike on a Saudi Aramco petroleum products distribution plant in Jeddah. Aramco and Saudi authorities confirmed the attack.
Two weeks ago, a fire near a floating platform belonging to the Jazan oil products terminal was contained with no injuries.
That fire was the result of another attempted Houthi attack, in which the Saudi-led coalition intercepted and destroyed two explosive-laden boats in the southern Red Sea.
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