Saudi East-West Oil Pipeline Resumes Normal Operation

Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline is operating normally, according to a report by Bloomberg on Monday. The pipeline, a key export route, had earlier been reported as halted due to an attack on a pumping station in Khurais, east of Riyadh. However, Bloomberg cited sources familiar with the matter, stating that oil flows through the pipeline have resumed.

Earlier media reports had suggested that the attack caused extensive damage and halted operations. Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Energy Ministry did not immediately respond to Bloomberg’s requests for comment. Oil prices had initially risen by as much as 1.2% following the earlier report but pared gains after Bloomberg’s update.

By late last week, Saudi Aramco had increased flows through the pipeline to more than 80% of its 7 million-barrel-per-day capacity. After supplying refineries on the west coast, about 4.5 million barrels per day remained available for export. The pipeline connects Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil production facilities with the Red Sea coast, allowing crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

The pipeline had previously been targeted in attacks on September 10, prompting a precautionary shutdown. The Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed those attacks had affected the pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions.