Yemeni tribesmen blew up a pipeline that carries crude oil to a Red Sea export facility today.
Export operations were unaffected, and the dawn attack did not appear to be linked to Islamist militants, security officials said.
Tribesmen often kidnap holidaymakers and foreigners working in Yemen to press for better schools, roads and services, or the release of prisoners.
Yemen, which is a US-ally, is a small producer of oil with output of around 330,000 barrels per day (bpd) and exports of about 200,000 bpd from two terminals.
The country, which has been widely seen in the West as a haven for Islamist militants, including al-Qaeda supporters, joined the US-led "war on terrorism" begun after September 11 and has been battling Islamic militants for years.
In 2002 militants bombed the French oil supertanker Limburgoff Yemen's coast. In 2000, a suicide attack on the US warship Colekilled 17 US sailors.