Fire at Saudi gas plant kills at least 10

Agencies

Riyadh, Nov 18: At least ten people were killed and others wounded when a fire broke out Sunday at the Hawiyah gas plant in Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi Aramco spokeswoman said the fire was caused by a gas leak but declined to give further details. An Aramco statement said the fire caused "a number of deaths and injuries."

Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel quoted unnamed Saudi sources as saying at least 10 people were killed and scores wounded.

The gas leak started after midnight Saturday but was contained hours later, the Saudi-owned channel’s correspondent said, quoting Aramco sources.

State oil and gas firm Aramco is undertaking projects to boost output at a natural gas liquids recovery plant in Hawiyah.

The project will provide petrochemical feedstock to the industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu in the kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter.

The Hawiyah program will produce 310,000 barrels of ethane and NGL products by 2008, through the Hawiyah plant and an expansion of the Juaymah gas fractionation plant near Ras Tanura.

It was not clear if the fire would delay the project.

Japan's JGC Corp was awarded the contract for the Hawiyah NGL and related facilities.

Italian Eni's Snamprogetti is carrying out work related to gas treatment and compression facilities. Contracts for communication and plant infrastructure facilities were signed with local contractors.