Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Strategic East-West Oil Pipeline After Attacks
Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down its strategic East-West oil pipeline following attacks in the Riyadh and Al-Madinah regions, pushing Brent crude prices above $100 per barrel.
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that its strategic East-West oil pipeline was temporarily shut down following several attacks that hit the pipeline route in the Riyadh and Al-Madinah regions on Thursday. The Saudi Ministry of Energy stated that professional teams are working to address the damage and restore operations, amid a significant escalation in attacks against energy infrastructure in the kingdom.
The East-West pipeline, also known as Petroline, is one of Saudi Arabia's most vital energy routes. It allows oil to be transported from fields in the east of the kingdom to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, thereby bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
Its importance has grown significantly in recent times following disruptions to oil tanker traffic in the Gulf and the escalation between the United States and Iran. The pipeline's full pumping capacity stands at approximately seven million barrels per day, according to data published by the Saudi Ministry of Energy earlier this year.
Even before the official announcement, satellite photos and fire monitoring data indicated heavy smoke in the area southeast of Al-Madinah, near the pipeline route. Initially, there was no official confirmation that the pipeline itself had been hit.
The strike comes after several days of extensive attacks by the Houthis from Yemen against Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, energy facilities in Jizan and other areas in the south of the kingdom were attacked, leaving 73 people injured, including women and children. The Saudi Ministry of Energy reported fires and a temporary suspension of some operations at the affected facilities at the time.
The attacks and disruptions to export routes are already impacting the volume of Saudi oil supplies. According to the International Energy Agency, crude oil supplies from the kingdom fell in August to about six million barrels per day, the lowest level in over three decades.
Developments in Saudi Arabia, alongside disruptions to tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and escalation in the Red Sea, pushed Brent crude oil prices above $100 per barrel this week.
