These developments follow Houthi ballistic missile attacks on October 9 and 10 targeting the Shedgum and Hawiyah gas plants in the Ghawar field, which historically produces over 5 million bpd. The strikes occur as a hurricane removes 1.28 million bpd from US Gulf output and has already driven oil prices up by more than 5%. While satellite imagery shows extensive fires and flaring, the total extent of the damage to Saudi Aramco's infrastructure has not been independently verified.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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New Thermal Anomalies Hit World's Largest Oil Field on 2nd Day of Smoke
Commodities9 days ago
A potential disruption of roughly 1.8 million bpd of oil production is emerging as persistent fires affect critical pressure systems at Saudi Arabia's Khurais facility. NASA FIRMS data has identified new thermal anomalies near the Ghawar oil field while black smoke has continued to rise from multiple sites for a second consecutive day. Additional reports indicate a possible complete operational shutdown at Abqaiq, the country's largest processing plant with a capacity of 7 million bpd, following drone and missile strikes that forced the suspension of operations.
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