Saudi Oil Pipeline Repairs May Take Up to Five Weeks After Drone Attack

A recent drone attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has prompted the country to halt operations temporarily. Repairs are expected to take between three to five weeks, according to two regional officials who spoke with the Associated Press.

The damage was reportedly caused by attacks from Iraqi territory near the border with Iran. OilPrice cites these officials in stating that Saudi authorities called the shutdown a precautionary measure and reported injuries as a result of the attack.

Satellite images show significant damage to one of the large pumping stations along the pipeline's route, although the extent of the damage has not been publicly specified by Saudi Arabia. The country used this route to export around 4 million barrels of oil per day via the Red Sea after the war with Iran began.

The East-West pipeline is approximately 750 miles long and has allowed Saudi Arabia to redirect most oil shipments from western Persian Gulf ports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. It's unclear whether the pipeline will operate partially during repairs, but at least four Asian refineries have not yet received clarification on the impact of the shutdown on scheduled loadings in Yanbu.