Saudi East-West Pipeline Attacked, Global Oil Supplies at Risk

Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline was attacked by drone strikes on September 10, prompting the country to shut down the crucial network as a precautionary measure. The attack, which originated in Iraq, caused an unspecified number of injuries and damage to pumping stations along the pipeline.

The East-West Pipeline, also known as Petroline, runs approximately 1,200 km across Saudi Arabia from the Abqaiq oil processing center in the east to the Red Sea port of Yanbu in the west. The pipeline can transport around 7 million barrels per day (bpd), with about 5 million bpd available for exports.

The attack on the East-West pipeline is significant because it raises concerns over global oil supplies, which are already strained by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has been using the pipeline to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, where oil flows have remained severely constrained since the US-Israel war with Iran began in February.