Saudi Pipeline Attack Damages Three Pumping Stations Amid Global Oil Supply Pressures

Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline was attacked last week, causing damage to three pumping stations. The attack was initially thought to have affected two sites, but satellite imagery and industry sources confirm that three were indeed damaged.

The pipeline carries crude from eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, providing an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. It has a capacity of around seven million barrels per day (bpd), although volumes have averaged four to five million bpd over the past six months.

Saudi Aramco aims to restore around half of the route's capacity 'within days' by bypassing an affected section, with full operations targeted in roughly six weeks. However, industry assessments indicate that repairs could take five to six weeks.