Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
A section of Iran’s sprawling Abadan oil refinery in the southwest of the country went up in flames Saturday, and state media sources reported the emergency was under control as of Sunday morning.
State media is describing it as “a fire in a canal carrying waste from Iran’s Abadan oil refinery,” with Iranian official broadcaster IRIB saying, “The refinery’s fire department contained the fire and prevented it from spreading to other units.”
#BREAKING
A fire in a canal carrying waste from #Iran’s #Abadan oil refinery was brought under control on Sunday: State Media pic.twitter.com/zTHwrVHMVc— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) October 20, 2019
However, given the extent of the blaze captured in social media circulating videos, and especially given it comes after a tense summer of attacks on tanker and refineries — notably the Sept. 14 Saudi Aramco drone and missile attack — the newest Iran facility fire raises serious question.
Could the clearly massive Abadan blaze, which Iranian state sources appear ready to downplay, be the result of a Saudi revenge attack?
Though unverified and unconfirmed, Iranian opposition sources are pointing to a potential cyber attack as a possible cause for the fire.
#BREAKING: It is now confirmed that a Cyber attack resulted fire in #Abadan's Oil Refinery in Southwest of #Iran. Probably a Cyber attack in response to #IRGC's cruise missile attack at #Aramco's oil facilities in #Abqaiq & #Khurais, #SaudiArabia on 14 September 2019. pic.twitter.com/mkgs5LZXnq
— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) October 20, 2019
Again, local authorities say it’s the result of an accident, and though yes the occasional oil refinery blaze does happen, it’s the fact that it comes after months of unprecedented Saudi-Iran (and allies) tit-for-tat targeting of tankers and energy resources that should raise some eyebrows.
The blaze is currently subject of intense speculation online after early reports cited an initial “explosion” at the facility.
ŞİMDİ
İran’ın Abadan kentindeki petrol rafinerisinde patlama sesi duyuldu, yangın çıktı.
• İran devlet ajansı Tasnim, yangının kontrol altına alındığını belirtiyor. pic.twitter.com/Em3UJLFT0Z
— Fatih (@fatihcagrii) October 20, 2019
Interestingly, the Abadan refinery has been subject of major foreign investment, with a Chinese firm Sinopec signing a $1.2 billion deal with Iran’s oil ministry for a major modernization project at the facility in 2016.
And earlier this year it was announced that “China’s Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation has invested €2 billion in development projects in the refinery since 2017,” as initially cited by IRNA.
Abadan refinery in Iran’s southwest region, file image.
However, with new US sanctions now targeting major Chinese shipping firms and entities caught importing Iranian oil, Beijing has begun pulling out of major oil and gas infrastructure projects inside Iran.
The fire is currently said to be under control, per state sources, but a definitive cause is as yet still unclear.
Here’s a footage of the fire, from Mashregh News: https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/1002941/%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A2%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86
Another footage from Khabaronline: https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1312477/%D9%81%DB%8C%D9%84%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%A2%D8%AA%D8%B4-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%A2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86
Abadan refinery’s head of public relations office says the fire (caused by leakage and accumulation of waste under the waste canal for years) broke out on 10:30 in the morning and extinguished with in 5 minutes by the refinery’s firefighting station and the unit 55 is currently active.
There was a plan to clean the ground but usually nobody cares about these things until something happens. Hopefully they take such matters seriously now and for all refineries and petrochemical plants, not just this one.
On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du-N3zvrVQ8
(he says: it’s refinery’s 55…. ey baba…. sometimes this 55 disrupts things…)
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Dear @ishyrionav, it is the right place to speak about that “Karma”. On last days of 2018 Iran announced it’s strategy of defence and patience is going to change into an active and attack one. Days of “hit and run” came to an end and Iran will retaliate any attack on it’s soil and interests and the retaliation will be painful and in-proportional. These are incidents and dates, anyone interested can search by them and find more than one link. In each of the following cases after an incident involving Iran something, terrible happened to someone. Sometimes it takes time for Karma to investigate, prepare and act and sometimes things are ready for her.
We’ll see what happens after Iran’s crude tanker attack. The ship is yet to reach Iran and investigations will be performed immediately upon it’s arrival.
Israel Attack T4, April 2019 – Israel Military base Tel Aviv explosion, May 2019
Israel attack Aqraba base near Damascus, 24 August 2019 – Heyfa fire, 5 September 2019
Iran oil platform fire, 12 June 2019 – Philadelphia refinery fire, 21 June 2019
Tehran-Zahedan train derailment, 25 September 2019 – Jaddah Train station fire, 29 September 2019
An unconnected but similar situation happened in the UK a few years ago when an escalator caught fire deep into the London Underground railway system.
The fire and smoke caused mass panic, and was caused by paper and other flammable debris building up over many years, due to there being no cleaning planning, that then set fire to the debris when a ciggaret or another small burning item slipped between a small gap in the escalator.
Shit happens :)
I remember that accident, i believe i saw it on “Seconds from disaster” show, back then when i watched TV and those kind of shows.
And yeah, not everything is an attack or covert operation, accidents can happend everywhere at anytime.
Not denying it was a covert OP, just saying that to many have their war and spec ops glasses on.
I agree,Brian.
Israel covert attacks
To jump to conclusions is bad tactic, especially with lack of real intelligence available , but there is a lot of activity that points to something going down and not on small scale. Q’tar just signed a defense security protection package with both Iran and Turkey. Turkey has refused to relinquish the nuclear warheads back to US. Kuwait which is a partner with Saudi’s in their richest portion of oil fields has Declared itself as a Neutral Nation and complete seperation from all Saudi military operations. Turkey announced their newest nuke plant will come on line within 30 days amidst US Intel saying they most likely already may have own nuke weapons from connection to Pakistan’s Khan. Reports of possible split between Saudis proxies in Yemen and UAE forces amidst reports of even armed conflicts on small scale. US Retreating from Sria except from Kurd oil fields that has some 3-500 heavy armed trip and air with Units of French and NATO of around 200. Kurdish leaders meeting with Israeli’s asking for their help. Some 30,000 US troop in close proximity to Iran on standby, including naval. Lots of seemingly disconnected events but thing to watch for is if US places its Airborne units on standby or moves them to theater.