RIYADH – Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline could remain out of full operation for three to five weeks after last week’s drone attacks, raising fresh concerns about oil supplies and prices in an already unsettled global market.
Saudi officials familiar with the situation told Wire Service that repairs could take several weeks. The work includes repairing damaged sections of the pipeline as well as restoring a major pumping facility. The officials said some oil may still be moved through parts of the pipeline while repairs are underway, but the system is not expected to return to full capacity for up to three to five weeks.
The development is particularly significant because the pipeline is one of Saudi Arabia’s most important alternative routes for exporting crude.
East-West pipeline stretches about 1,200 kilometres from Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich eastern region to the country’s western coast. It can transport around 7 million barrels of oil a day. Its strategic importance lies in the fact that it allows Saudi Arabia to move crude to ports on the Red Sea without sending tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.
That alternative route has become even more important as disruptions around Hormuz continue to threaten oil shipments.
Global supply shock fears
KSA blamed Iran-backed Iraqi militias for the drone attacks that struck the pipeline last week. After recent attacks, Riyadh shut down the pipeline on Thursday as a precautionary security measure. The officials said the damage is enough to require extensive repair work, including the restoration of a major pumping centre. They also said they had been instructed not to discuss the matter publicly.
The timing of the disruption could hardly be more sensitive. Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are already halted, while crude prices have climbed above $100 a barrel. Any prolonged reduction in Saudi Arabia’s ability to use its East-West pipeline could add further pressure to the global market.
If the pipeline takes the full estimated three to five weeks to return to normal, traders could face another period of uncertainty over global supplies.
For Saudi Arabia, the problem is not simply about repairing a damaged pipeline. The East-West route is an important part of the kingdom’s strategy to keep its oil moving when shipping through Hormuz becomes difficult. With both routes facing disruption, the pressure on Riyadh, and on global oil markets, is growing.
The roughly 1,200-km pipeline, linking Abqaiq to Yanbu, can normally carry 4–5 million barrels of oil a day. Repairs could take 3–5 weeks, according to regional officials, potentially deepening an already severe supply disruption.
The damage comes after earlier attacks reportedly cut around 600,000 barrels per day of Saudi capacity and another 700,000 barrels per day of pipeline throughput. The IEA has said Saudi crude supplies have fallen to their lowest level in more than three decades.
Adding to the crisis, Houthi forces reportedly seized Greater and Lesser Hanish islands near Bab al-Mandeb, putting another critical oil-shipping corridor under pressure. Despite the escalating risks, Brent crude recently fell about 3% to around $104 a barrel.
Saudi Arabia’s vital East-West oil pipeline comes under attack in Riyadh and Madinah
