ADNOC halted crude loading at Fujairah after a drone strike sparked fires at the export terminal, sources told Reuters. Some operations have partially resumed, with two of the port's three single-point moorings reported operational. Authorities said emergency teams extinguished fires and reported no casualties. The incident is the second recent disruption at the bunkering hub amid regional tensions that have already cut UAE oil output.
Drone Attack Halts ADNOC Crude Loading at Fujairah — Partial Operations Resume
Satellite image shows smoke rising from UAE's Fujairah port, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 15, 2026. Nasa Worldview/Handout via REUTERS
Abu Dhabi state oil company ADNOC suspended crude loading at the Port of Fujairah after a drone attack ignited fires at the terminal, a source told Reuters on Monday. The incident disrupted exports at one of the UAE's most important oil hubs.
Satellite image shows smoke rising from UAE's Fujairah port, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 15, 2026. Nasa Worldview/Handout via REUTERS
Partial Restart, But Major Disruption Remains
Two other sources reported that some loading activity has resumed at the hub. One of them said two of Fujairah's three single-point moorings — where tankers berth to load crude — are operational, while the affected terminals remain closed pending inspections.
Satellite image shows smoke rising from UAE's Fujairah port, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 16, 2026. Nasa Worldview/Handout via REUTERS
Fires, Emergency Response And Casualties
Witnesses and two sources said three separate fires were burning in Fujairah's oil industrial zone in the Emirati afternoon. The Fujairah government media office said civil defence teams were working to control the blazes and that no casualties were reported. The office did not comment on the status of oil loadings.
Wider Context And Supply Impacts
Fujairah, on the Gulf of Oman just outside the Strait of Hormuz, ordinarily serves as the main export point for roughly 1 million barrels per day of the UAE's Murban crude — about 1% of global oil demand. This suspension is the second significant disruption at the strategic bunkering hub in recent days: operations had only recently resumed after an earlier drone strike over the weekend.
Regional tensions tied to the wider U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran have constricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow route that normally handles about one-fifth of the world’s oil. Reuters reported that the combined impact of the conflict and restricted passage through the strait has forced ADNOC to implement widespread production shut-ins, cutting UAE daily oil output by more than half.
Note: Reuters reporting contributed to this summary.
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