Workers halt crude oil supply from Shabwa’s Al-Uqlah field in protest over unmet demands

SHABWA, July 12 (YPA) – Workers at the Al-Uqlah (S2) oil field in Yemen’s Shabwa province have halted the pumping of crude oil to the PetroMasila terminal in Aden, in protest against the Saudi-led coalition-backed government’s failure to meet their demands.

The workers, based in Arma district, confirmed that the shutdown followed the expiration of a deadline given to the pro-coalition government to  address their deteriorating living conditions, in a move similar to the one taken on June 20.

In a strongly worded statement, the workers denounced what they described as the pro-coalition government’s continued stalling and disregard for their financial and labor rights, warning that further delays in resolving the crisis could deepen instability in key service sectors.

They also stressed that ignoring their demands could have serious consequences, particularly in Aden, where electricity outages exceed 17 hours per a day, and the power plant relies heavily on crude oil supplied from Shabwa.

Production at the Al-Uqlah oil field, operated by Austrian energy firm OMV, commenced in 2006 with a capacity of over 28,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

This escalation comes amid growing public opposition in Hadramout over the past two days to the transfer of crude oil from storage tanks at Al-Dhabba port to refineries in Aden.

Residents of Hadramout emphasized that the revenues from those oil shipments should be allocated for the purchase of a new power generation station, in accordance with demands approved by the Presidential Leadership Council earlier this January.

@E.Y.M