Saudi Pipeline to Resume Operations After Drone Attack Damage

A major oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia is expected to resume operations within days after being shut down due to a drone attack by Iran-backed militias earlier this month. The pipeline, which was damaged during the attack, will initially return to about half capacity, with full restoration possibly taking up to six weeks.

The pipeline, operated by Saudi Aramco, is crucial for Saudi Arabia's oil exports, especially with the ongoing US war with Iran causing a near halt to oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The attack caused significant damage to the pipeline, which serves as an alternate route to export oil, bypassing the strait.

Satellite images released showed extensive damage to a pumping station on the 1,200km pipeline, which runs from the Abqaiq oilfield to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea. The Saudi energy ministry has not commented on the report or the extent of the damage, but repairs are reportedly underway.