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Post by Jake Kratovil on Jan 14, 2010 8:08:36 GMT -5
The Rabigh Oil Refinery and Petrochemical Complex, located on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, was knocked out of commission earlier today when a string of explosions ripped through the area, setting fire to thousands of barrels of unprocessed petroleum and throwing up clouds of noxious fumes into the sky. An unofficial report has already put the death toll in the hundreds and thousands more wounded. Even now, fires continue to rage uncontrolled throughout the complex, threatening to set off secondary explosions and cause further destruction. Employees described seeing smoke coming from one of the smaller refining centers before it went up in flames, followed quickly by explosions further into the compound. Officials have speculated that the blast hit the main petrol line, sending fire down to adjacent refining centers. Though no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, rumors are already running rampant of Al Queda as the culprit. The Saudi Government is calling the disaster the “worst breach of security in our nation’s history.”
Rabigh is responsible for pumping out 480,000 barrels of oil a day, and was a joint business venture between Saudi Arabia and Japan. Japan currently receives 30% of its oil from the Kingdom. This combined with the recent attack on the Jeddah Hilton Hotel has already led to speculation within the oil market, producing a spike in world oil prices.
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Post by turkeysbth on Jan 14, 2010 15:06:53 GMT -5
Turkey would like to give condolences to Saudi Arabia and wish good fortune at quickly controlling the fire. This recent attack on an oil refinery will put strain on all countries that are producing oil to work faster and also on the global market. To help command the situation, middle eastern countries should consider finding quicker routes to the affected countries. Turkey will be giving a financial donation for the rebuilding of this oil refinery and urges other countries to do the same.
As far as blame is concerned, we cannot be completely sure, but this recent string attacks from Al-Qaeda must be put under control. The world oil market and the passages is an important issue to be discussed. Each middle eastern economy hinges on these important facts and Turkey would like to suggest that this is the issue we should discuss when we convene on Saturday.
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