Saudi Aramco is confident that oil production will return to normal

Saudi Aramco is confident that the total production of Khurais, one of the two oil complexes attacked on September 14, will resume in full before the end of September, a company executive said Friday.

Aramco is sending material from the United States and Europe to rebuild the damaged facilities, said Fahad Abdulkarim, general director of Aramco for oil exploitation in the southern zone, in press statements during a tour organized by the state company.

"We are sure that we will return to the total production we were in before the attack (in Khurais) at the end of September," Abdulkarim said.

Reuters correspondents were able to see the repair work in progress, with cranes mounted around two burned stabilization columns that are part of the oil and gas separation units.

Two other oil and gas separation units were also reached and the pipe network was filled with hundreds of holes.

"We are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," Abdulkarim said. "This is a hive."

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The Saudi Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that the Khurais facility was hit by four missiles.

He said 18 unmanned aircraft and three missiles were launched at the other site, Abqaiq, the world's largest oil processing facility. The missiles aimed at Abqaiq fell short, the ministry said.

The Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks, but a representative from the United States said they originated in southwestern Iran.

Tehran, which supports the Houthis, has denied any involvement in the attacks.

Khurais produced 1.2 million barrels per day before the attack. The attacks reduced the production of the kingdom by almost half, reducing it by 5.7 million bpd.