Drones Target Saudi Arabia's Crucial East-West Oil Pipeline

The East-West pipeline in Saudi Arabia has been shut down temporarily after it was targeted by several drones. The attack, which occurred on September 10th, prompted authorities to halt operations as a precautionary measure.

The pipeline, operated by the state-owned energy company Aramco, stretches approximately 1,200 kilometers from Abqaiq in the Eastern Province to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. It plays a crucial role in transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia's main production and processing areas to refineries, storage facilities, and export terminals on its western coast.

The East-West pipeline has become increasingly important for Saudi Arabia as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has declined amid the US-Iran conflict. The pipeline allows Saudi Arabia to transport large quantities of crude oil to the Red Sea without relying on the strait.

According to estimates, around 2 million barrels per day of the pipeline's capacity is directed toward refineries on the western coast, while up to 5 million barrels per day could be available for other destinations, including exports. However, tanker-tracking data indicate that actual flows through the western coast remained below the East-West pipeline's maximum capacity.

The Saudi Energy Ministry has not disclosed the scale of the damage or the volume of affected pumping capacity, but it has stated that operations will resume once safety inspections are complete and the targeted sites have been secured.