Yemen LNG denies claims of attack

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SANAA, Yemen, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A natural gas company in Yemen said operations at a liquefied natural gas plant were in service despite reports of pipeline sabotage.

Media reports, several which cited anonymous sources, stated suspected Islamic rebels bombed a pipeline operated by Yemen LNG.

"Yemen LNG Company denies the news of a pipeline sabotage that was reported by some press agencies this Sept. 4th," the company said in a statement. "LNG production is running on the two trains at the Balhaf LNG plant and all the upstream facilities and the pipeline are in service at nominal capacity."

The company last weekend reported that a pipeline bombed in late August was back in service. Yemen LNG reported Aug. 21 that unnamed attackers caused an explosion on a 38-inch natural gas pipeline tied to a terminal on the Gulf of Aden, the country's only liquefied natural gas export facility.

In June, the Yemeni Ministry of Oil worked said attacks on oil and natural gas infrastructure cost the country as much as $15 million per day in lost revenue.

Violence in Yemen has been attributed to fighters loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh and separately to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.