Smoke Seen Near Saudi Arabia's Critical East-West Oil Pipeline

Satellite images have revealed smoke near Saudi Arabia's critical East-West oil pipeline, one of the kingdom's key energy assets. The pipeline has become increasingly important for Saudi Arabia during the Iran war, enabling state oil giant Aramco to ship crude from the eastern coast to the Red Sea on its western coast.

The East-West Pipeline offers an alternative route for sending crude through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic global energy chokepoint. NASA fire data shows heat signatures above 70 MW lasting hours across multiple points along the pipeline corridor southeast of Medina.