Gas exports from Yemen's terminal halted

Gas exports from Yemen's Belhaf terminal halted on Saturday after rocket attack by anonymous assailants on a pipeline, which transports gas from Marib province to an exporting port on the Arabian Sea of Belhaf, an engineer told Xinhua. The local engineer of Yemen's LNG export company led by French oil major Total said on condition of anonymity that gas exports from Belahf terminal was halted after anonymous assailants bombed a key, underground pipeline that extends gas from Marib province to an exporting port on the Arabian Sea. Early Saturday, a local security official told Xinhua that a pipeline carrying gas from Marib to liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Balhaf port was blown up in Shabwa province. "The targeted gas pipeline located in Rodhoum area, a few miles away from the location of the French giant TOTAL-led Yemeni LNG Company in Balhaf port in southeast province of Shabwa," the official told Xinhua by phone. "The bombing took place on Saturday at about 1:30 a.m. local time, just a few hours after Yemeni warplanes hit hideouts of al- Qaida militants in neighboring towns of Azzan and Rawda," he said on condition of anonymity. The official blamed al-Qaida for the attack. An engineer of TOTAL-led Yemeni LNG company confirmed to Xinhua the bombing of the company's gas pipeline. "Huge fire at the hit pipeline can be seen from miles away and the company already suspended gas production," he said.