Saudi Aramco helicopter crash west of Hormuz kills 14 Saudis

RIYADH – A helicopter crash in Saudi Arabia killed 14 Saudis on June 28, the kingdom’s official press agency reported, adding that the aircraft belonged to state oil giant Aramco.

The Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the Energy Ministry, reported that the helicopter crashed in Ras Tanura in the country’s east.

“The accident claimed the lives of all 14 passengers, all Saudi citizens,” the agency said, adding that an investigation was under way to determine the cause of the crash.

Aramco says it operates more than 60 aircraft, including helicopters serving more than 300 heliports in Saudi Arabia, making it one of the largest corporate fleets in the region.

The deadly accident comes as oil-rich Gulf nations seek to ramp up their output following Iranian attacks and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the export of oil and gas.

Saudi Arabia did not indicate that the incident was in any way connected to a hostile attack.

During the Middle East war, Iranian attacks targeted energy facilities in the Gulf.

Ras Tanura is home to one of the largest refineries in the Middle East, with a capacity of 550,000 barrels per day (bpd), and is critical to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.

The refinery has been targeted several times, notably during an Iranian drone attack at the beginning of the conflict, which caused a fire and forced a partial shutdown.

Riyadh said in April that the weeks-long attacks disrupted several production operations at key facilities, with refineries in Ras Tanura, as well as Jubail, Yanbu and Riyadh, targeted.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s leading crude exporter, produces a little over 10 million bpd. REUTERS