Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its strategic East-West oil pipeline after a drone attack, raising concerns over further disruption to global crude supplies amid the widening Middle East conflict.
The 1,200-km pipeline, which links the kingdom’s oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, has become a critical alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. It has recently carried around 4 million barrels per day, equivalent to roughly 4% of global oil supply.
Saudi authorities said the shutdown was a precautionary measure after the attack caused damage and injuries. Riyadh and Baghdad said the drones originated in Iraq, while Iraq ordered an investigation and dismissed a military commander in response.
The disruption came as Houthi forces expanded their presence around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another major shipping chokepoint. The attacks on the pipeline and the strategic Perim Island heightened concerns over the security of alternative oil-export routes.
Saudi Arabia initially faced the prospect of sharply reduced exports from Yanbu because storage stocks there could sustain shipments for only several days if the pipeline remained offline.
The pipeline was subsequently restarted on Sept. 22, and Saudi Arabia resumed crude loadings from Yanbu.
