The Aden port received the first crude cargo coming from Ras Isa terminal after nine months of halt to crude exports due to repeated attacks on the Marib oil pipeline, officials said on Sunday.
The cargo was 630.000 barrels and the Aden refinery will start processing it not at the normal capacity, the officials added. The refinery processes about 130.000 barrels a day.
The Marib oil pipeline was repeatedly attacked last year and the first half of this year and stopped pumping crude in October forcing a shutdown of the refinery a month later.
Its shutdown cost the country about $4billion and part of the crude carried via it is exported to bring in $3 billion a year. Also, the shutdown caused fuel shortages since part of the crude is locally consumed. Saudi Arabia met Yemen's needs of oil products through January-June and last year donated about 3 million billion of crude to help its neighbor cope with an acute fuel crisis.
Yemen's oil and gas pipelines are subject to sabotage attacks by militants and tribesmen who usually carry out the attacks to pressure the government meet demands including release of prisoners.
After completing the repairs in mid-July, the government drew up a special plan to protect the pipeline from more attacks as the country is struggling to boost the national economy and overcome a food crisis affecting half of the population.