Middle East war: why attacks on gasfields like South Pars are a major escalation

"The strikes are significant because they signal a potential deepening of the war, with longer-term consequences for the global economy. While a cessation of hostilities could result in suspended gas and oil shipments returning within months, experts assess that any significant damage to production itself could have a years-long impact."

"On Tuesday a successful Iranian drone attack resulted in operations at the Shah gasfield in Abu Djabi being suspended. The site can produce 1.28bn standard cubic feet of gas a day and supplies about 20% of the UAE's gas supply and 5% of the world's granulated sulphur used in phosphate fertilisers."

"The US and Israel had previously held back from targeting Iran's energy production facilities in the Gulf in an attempt to avoid Iranian retaliation against the oil and gas industries of its neighbours."

Recent attacks on gas production facilities mark the first time upstream energy infrastructure has been directly targeted in the Middle East conflict. An Iranian drone attack disabled the Shah gasfield in Abu Dhabi, which produces 1.28 billion cubic feet of gas daily and supplies 20% of UAE's gas and 5% of global granulated sulphur. Subsequently, Iran's South Pars gasfield facility was struck, reportedly by Israel with US consent. South Pars is the world's largest gasfield and Iran's primary domestic energy source. These strikes signal potential conflict deepening with serious economic implications. While temporary hostilities suspension could restore shipments within months, significant production damage could impact global markets for years.

Read at www.theguardian.com