A strike blamed on Iran triggered a fire at a facility connected to Bahrain’s main oil refinery in Riffa, prompting state-owned energy company Bapco to declare force majeure on its operations.
Emergency crews responded quickly to the incident, and authorities confirmed that no casualties were reported. However, the attack has heightened tensions across the Gulf and raised concerns about possible disruptions to regional energy supplies.
In an official statement, Bapco said its group operations had been disrupted due to the ongoing regional conflict and a direct strike on its refinery complex. The declaration of force majeure allows the company to temporarily suspend contractual supply obligations due to circumstances beyond its control.
Witnesses reported massive flames and thick black smoke rising over the industrial zone housing the refinery in Al Ma’ameer, near Riffa, early Monday morning. Bahraini officials accused Iran of targeting a key energy facility in the kingdom. While authorities confirmed significant material damage, emergency teams were able to quickly begin firefighting operations.
The refinery operated by Bapco is the backbone of Bahrain’s oil industry, producing more than 350,000 barrels of oil per day. As the kingdom’s largest and most critical energy facility, any disruption to its operations could have immediate effects on Bahrain’s economy and the wider regional energy market.
The company acknowledged that the attack and the widening Middle East conflict have made it impossible to maintain normal operations or meet certain supply commitments.
The development comes only days after Qatar declared force majeure on some of its liquefied natural gas operations following an Iranian drone strike targeting the major energy hub at Ras Laffan Industrial City.
Reports also suggested that two installations belonging to QatarEnergy in northern Qatar were targeted earlier this week, further raising alarms about the security of critical energy infrastructure across the region.
Although authorities have not provided a timeline for when production might resume, the sudden suspension has intensified fears of disruptions to global energy and industrial supply chains. Qatar remains one of the world’s leading exporters of liquefied natural gas and a major producer of petrochemical and industrial materials.
With two major Gulf energy producers invoking force majeure within days, analysts warn that the conflict could trigger a major shock to global oil and gas supplies.
