Merged Drone attack on Saudi Oil Production

The Atheist

The Grammar Tyrant
The Atheist
Joined
Jul 3, 2006
Messages
36,409
Yemeni forces hit Saudi oilfields with drone attacks.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49703143

I've wondered for some time why more rebel forces don't use this kind of technology - freely available, easy to set up, high chance of escape for the pilots, and we can add highly effective. Why fly a 737 into a building when you can fly a drone carrying 20 lbs of C4?

Given the murdering Saudi's use of drones in Yemen, I'd say this is fair tactics and well aimed, hitting the despots where they hurt most: the pocket.
 
All I care about is if and how much this will affect prices at my local gas station. Other than that, blow each other up, please.
 
mgidm86 said:
All I care about is if and how much this will affect prices at my local gas station. Other than that, blow each other up, please.
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Going by oil market reaction and normal production resuming by Monday: $0.00.
 
Trebuchet said:
Here in the USA, the oil companies will raise the price tomorrow, as they do every time there's the slightest excuse. It won't last because of market pressure, but they always try.
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Considering you're paying 1/3 of what we do, I find it hard to be too worried about that.
 
And of course the Whitehouse leaps instantly to blame Iran, sans evidence... and screeching on their soapboxes for all allied countries to immediately jump in on the blame game too.

We've heard this song before... the playbook is stuck in an endless loop.

Same bat time. Same bat channel.

*yawns loudly*
 
Depending on how long it takes to restore production levels, this will at the very least cause oil prices to rise. Ironically, the US will profit from this (as will Russia).

It might also put pressure on the administration to let Iran sell more of its oil - or it could lead to war.
 
The Great Zaganza said:
The Saudi won't buy more weapons until they used up the ones they've got.
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Saudi buys weapons as, effectively, a bribe to keep their weapons-producing chums sweet.

National spending on arms in US$ Bn, per annum(from wiki):


1 643.3 United States of America
2 168.2 China
3 82.9 Saudi Arabia
4 63.1 Russia
 
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What sort of drones were these? I suppose it doesn't much much to our a GPS on a on a load of C4 these days.

Then there's this.

Rebels have flown drones into the radar arrays of Saudi Arabia’s Patriot missile batteries, according to Conflict Armament Research, disabling them and allowing the Houthis to fire ballistic missiles into the kingdom unchallenged.
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CNN has a pretty good analysis of the attack this morning:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/15/middleeast/saudi-oil-attack-lister-analysis-intl/index.html

Despite the Houthi claims of responsibility, there is no indication the Houthis have drones capable of flying the required distance. The Iranians do, and if there is any actual intelligence on flight paths and such they are keeping it to themselves.

The actual extent of damage may or may not be as serious as first claimed as the Saudis do have a degree of redundancy in these plants.
 
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