Ras Tanura refinery unit hit as Saudi Arabia plans crude storage in Singapore
Satellite images show damage to a cracking unit while nine VLCCs loaded at once; Aramco will store crude at Jurong Rock Caverns
Commercial satellite imagery shows that the Houthi missile strike on Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia's principal Gulf export hub, damaged a cracking unit at the site's refinery. The strikes hit both the marine terminal tank farm and the refining complex, and open-source analysts say the refinery has stopped flaring, a sign that it has shut down or cut runs.
The Houthis claimed the hit on 27 October. Saudi forces said they intercepted three ballistic missiles and four drones that day without confirming any damage, while NASA FIRMS heat sensing showed a fire at the export terminal, later reported to have been contained. During the same week the Houthis tried several times to strike Riyadh's international airport and the East-West Pipeline, whose pumping stations were damaged in earlier attacks; Saudi Aramco restarted the line at reduced flow within days.
What does the damage mean for supply?
Ras Tanura normally processes up to 550,000 barrels a day, making it one of the kingdom's largest refineries, and a shutdown cuts output of diesel, jet fuel, gasoline and bunker fuel, all of which are in short supply. Most refiners have been running flat out, some extending service intervals to keep units on line.
Crude exports have not been interrupted. Satellite imagery captured nine VLCCs loading at the same time at Ras Tanura and Juaymah, enough for about 18 million barrels, and by one calculation Aramco has fully recovered its prewar crude export volumes and nearly recovered its product exports.
Swiss geospatial consultancy Aurorah Geosignal Intelligence says it found a "100% match" between the passes of Russian government satellites over Saudi sites and later Houthi missile attacks, including one as recent as 19 October. Houthi and Saudi officials have said the Houthis have access to Russian and Chinese satellite imagery, with Iranian advisers in Yemen supplying the analysis. France, Britain, Egypt and Pakistan have pledged help against the strikes; the US has so far declined Saudi requests for aid.
Why is Saudi crude going to Singapore?
On 26 October Saudi Arabia and Singapore announced plans to store Saudi crude at the Jurong Rock Caverns from the second half of 2027. Saudi Aramco is signing a memorandum of understanding with Singapore's Energy Market Authority and JTC Corp, and the two sides aim to conclude negotiations within a few months. The caverns lie 150 metres below Jurong Island and hold up to 1.47 million cubic metres, roughly 9 million barrels.
"This arrangement enhances the resilience of the Saudi crude oil supply chain in Southeast Asia, as well as contributes to Singapore's energy security and resilience in the event of supply disruptions," Singapore's energy minister Tan See Leng said. Singapore would be the third Asian country to hold Saudi crude, after Japan, where storage at Okinawa was expanded to 8.2 million barrels in 2017, and South Korea, where Aramco agreed in 2023 to keep 5.3 million barrels at Ulsan for five years. Before the war, Asia drew two-thirds of its oil from the Middle East.
This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 30 October 2026.
