A satellite image shows a drone strike on an Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia
Oil and trouble in the Gulf
Gulf producers learn that regional instability no longer guarantees high oil prices
The September attacks on Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq processing plant and Khurais oil field—which took out about half the kingdom’s production—was the most serious in a string of destabilising developments in the Middle East during the summer and early autumn: the seizure of oil tankers; attacks on tankers; the sacking of the Saudi oil minister; riots in Iraq and Egypt; an acceleration of Iranian uranium enrichment; the Turkish invasion of northern Syria. Under normal circumstances, any one of these events could have triggered a prolonged spike in oil prices. After the Abqaiq/Khurais attacks, the price rose by about 20pc, but not for long. The average Brent spot price for that week was just over
Also in this section
12 December 2025
The latest edition of our annual Outlook publication, titled 'The shape of energy to come: Creating unique pathways and managing shifting alliances', is available now
12 December 2025
The federal government is working with Alberta to improve the country’s access to Asian markets and reduce dependence on the US, but there are challenges to their plans
11 December 2025
The removal of the ban on oil and gas exploration and an overhaul of the system sends all the right messages for energy security, affordability and sustainability
10 December 2025
The economic and environmental cost of the seven-year exploration ban will be felt long after its removal
