Saudi Aramco Pipeline Shutdown Cuts Europe Crude Supplies

Saudi Aramco has halted crude oil deliveries to European refiners due to a shutdown of its East-West pipeline, which was attacked on September 10. The 7-million-barrel-per-day pipeline carries crude from Saudi Arabia's eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The disruption has affected at least three European refiners, with late-September cargoes either canceled or delayed until November. Two additional refiners are expecting notices covering their September supplies.

The East-West pipeline had become one of Saudi Arabia's most important alternatives for keeping exports flowing during regional instability in the Gulf. However, its shutdown has now translated into a tangible problem for Aramco's longtime European customers: barrels that were promised are not arriving.