Saudi Arabia has resumed operations of its crucial East-West oil pipeline, which had been temporarily halted due to a drone attack.
According to Reuters on September 22, Saudi authorities have recently restarted the pipeline, with oil shipments expected to resume at the Yanbu port as early as that evening.
The pipeline is currently transporting oil at a reduced rate. Saudi state oil company Aramco aims to increase the daily transport volume to a maximum of 4 million barrels, although a specific timeline for full normalization has not yet been established.
Local sources reported, "The resumption of operations has allowed for the supply of crude oil to Aramco's refinery facilities near the Red Sea," adding that an oil tanker bound for China is scheduled to be loaded at Yanbu later that day.
Previously, Saudi Arabia halted operations of the pipeline immediately following a drone attack from Iraq on September 11, in order to ensure safety. This led to a complete suspension of oil exports through the Yanbu port.
The East-West pipeline serves as a vital alternative route for Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, to transport crude oil outside the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
In response to military conflicts involving Iran that have disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has been using this pipeline to send approximately 4 million barrels of oil per day to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea, accounting for about 4% of global oil supply.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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