Saudi Arabia Redirects Oil Exports Through Oman Amid Pipeline Repairs

Oil prices continued to decline on September 19, 2026, after reports indicated that Saudi Arabia would reroute crude oil exports through Oman while the East-West pipeline undergoes repairs. The benchmark prices had already slipped in the previous session and extended those losses earlier in the day.

Brent crude was trading at $105.89 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate stood at $102.39 per barrel. This comes after an earlier spike when Brent briefly surpassed $108 and WTI spiked above $103 per barrel. The increase in prices was attributed to concerns about oil supply security following the Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.

The latest attack led to the East-West pipeline being shut down, causing concerns among traders. Aramco had also cancelled several oil cargoes intended for European buyers this month, and Kpler reported that oil in storage at Yanbu port had dropped below 15 million barrels, down from close to 21 million barrels in July.

Saudi Arabia subsequently indicated it would begin redirecting more oil to its Persian Gulf ports, easing trader concerns. Aramco would reportedly avoid the Strait of Hormuz by using ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman.