Over 80 Mideast energy facilities damaged in war, with recovery expected to take up to two years: IEA
IEA chief calls crisis 'the largest energy security threat in history,' surpassing 1970s oil shocks and Ukraine war disruption
WASHINGTON, United States (AA) – More than 80 energy facilities across the Middle East have been damaged since the start of the Iran war on February 28, with over one-third classified as severely or very severely hit, the head of the International Energy Agency said Monday, warning that restoring regional supply could take up to two years even if hostilities ended immediately.
Speaking at an Atlantic Council event in Washington, IEA chief Fatih Birol said the scale of destruction to oil fields, refineries, terminals and other infrastructure is unlike anything seen in previous energy crises.
“This is one of the most critical issues, and different than the past, many of the facilities are badly damaged,” he said, adding that the IEA is monitoring all affected sites.
Birol, a Turkish economist and energy expert, described the current turmoil as “the largest energy security threat in history,” saying the losses in oil and gas supply already far exceed those seen during the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks and after the start of the Ukraine war in 2022.
The world has lost around 30 million barrels per day of oil supply so far, compared with roughly 5 million barrels per day in each of the 1970s crises. In natural gas, the disruption has also exceeded the roughly 75 billion cubic meters lost since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In response, the IEA coordinated a record release of 400 million barrels from strategic stockpiles in March — the largest and fastest such action in the agency’s history.
Birol said he hoped a further emergency release would not be needed but stressed the agency stands ready to act if conditions worsen. He cautioned, however, that emergency reserves alone cannot offset prolonged infrastructure losses, particularly in countries with weak finances or limited storage capacity.
Beyond oil and gas, Birol warned that the conflict is also disrupting flows of fertilizers, petrochemicals, helium and other critical commodities essential to global supply chains.
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