Empty pipeline blown up in Yemen

04 July 2011

An empty oil pipeline in Maarib province has been attacked yet again by Yemeni tribesmen last week, adding another blow to the country’s energy sector. The secondary pipeline ran dry since an attack by tribesmen in mid-March, Reuters reported.

The lack of flow from the main pipeline had forced Yemen's 150,000-bpdAden refinery to halt operations. The refinery restarted two weeks ago when Saudi-donated crude arrived in the port.

The attack came a few days after a Yemeni official told Reuters the government was considering a military operation to take control of the area if local tribesmen did not allow the main Marib crude pipeline to be repaired soon.

“The repair of the oil pipeline will be carried out within the coming days in addition to the import of big quantities of import of crude oil and products,” said acting president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.