Seatrade-Maritime: Fujairah oil refinery on fire following Iranian drone attack

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

One of the world’s most important ship service locations in Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman came under attack yesterday from drones that UAE’s Ministry of Defence claimed originated in Iran. 

The fire at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone was said to be ‘under control’ on Tuesday morning although the authorities had initiated a major ‘cooling exercise’ to prevent re-ignition. The attack is seen as a key development in regional hostilities for various reasons. 

Fujairah lies outside Arabian Gulf waters on the Gulf of Oman and provides a vital oil export facility for the UAE. It is also one of the world’s top-three bunkering locations, with thousands of ships calling before voyages to east and west. 

The 174-ship Fujairah Anchorage Area, in the relatively calm waters offshore, is known as a key service centre for shipowners, operators, and their crews. Besides bunkering, services include crew changes, medical services, afloat repairs, hull cleaning, de-slopping, and garbage removal. The Anchorage also provides a safe location as ship masters ‘wait for orders’. 

The UAE Ministry of Defence said yesterday that its air defence had ‘engaged’ 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles, and four drones. Three Indian nationals were injured in the attack prompting the Indian Government to condemn the attack and call for an immediate end to violence targeting civilians and infrastructure.  

The UAE closed its embassy in Tehran two months ago and is reported to be considering freezing billions of dollars of Iranian assets. This has important implications because Iran relies heavily on the UAE for turning its oil exports into revenue.