Yemen: PetroMasila halts production in Hadramout and warns of continued tensions.

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Petromasila, operating in Hadramout Governorate, eastern Yemen, announced the cessation of its production activity in Sector (14) and the suspension of gas supply to power plants in Wadi Hadramout, following the deterioration of the security situation in the vicinity of its facilities during the past two days. In a statement on Monday, the company stated that its technical teams stopped all operations on Saturday evening as a result of escalating tensions and attempted intrusions that affected some of its sites, stressing that this decision came to preserve the safety of its personnel and facilities in accordance with the safety standards followed. The company explained that the temporary closure caused the cessation of gas pumping to the Wadi Hadramout Central Station and the Al-Jazeera Gas Station, which led to the almost complete shutdown of the electricity system in the valley, as it lost more than 85% of its generating capacity. Petromasila indicated that it had sought in recent days to maintain the minimum level of production in sectors (14) and (10), and to ensure the provision of the necessary fuel for the stations, but the field conditions no longer allow for continued safe operation. It also confirmed that it has begun coordinating with the competent security authorities to re-secure the sites in preparation for resuming work as soon as the situation improves. In the same context, the Hadramout Valley Electricity Corporation announced that the power outage in most areas of the valley was the result of the shutdown of the Petromasila and Al-Jazeera stations due to the gas cut, noting the readiness of its technical teams to restart as soon as supplies arrive. The Al-Masila field is one of the largest oil fields in Yemen, contributing more than a third of the national production. This development coincides with a state of tension in Wadi Hadramout, as a result of military movements between the Southern Transitional Council and the Hadramout Tribes Alliance, which announced on Saturday the deployment of "Hadramout Protection" forces to secure the oil fields and prevent any attempts to control them.