Saudi East-West Pipeline Moves 5.8 Million Barrels as Red Sea Route Recovers

Saudi Arabia's East–West pipeline has moved 5.8 million barrels of crude as of Tuesday morning, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said, adding capacity to the kingdom's Red Sea export route. The line transports oil across Saudi territory to the Red Sea port of Yanbu and has become a key alternate corridor as Gulf producers reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline was operating at roughly 4 million barrels per day after disruptions to normal Hormuz flows earlier in the regional conflict. In September drone attacks forced a temporary shutdown and halted loadings at Yanbu; state oil firm Aramco restarted the pipeline on September 22 and initially ran it at reduced throughput while resuming crude loadings at the port. Analysts at Standard Chartered attribute much of Saudi Arabia's recovery in exports to the combination of East–West pipeline shipments and increased tanker movements through Hormuz. The bank estimated Saudi crude exports rose to about 6.9 million barrels per day in September from roughly 2.45 million bpd in August. Broader Gulf exports (excluding Iran) were estimated at around 16.5 million bpd in September, close to pre-war levels. Despite the recovery, logistical and security challenges remain. Only about 60% of Gulf barrels crossed Hormuz in September compared with about 83% before the conflict, with the remainder shifted through bypass pipelines, alternate ports and more frequent ship-to-ship transfers. Freight rates and war-risk insurance continue to be elevated, tanker utilization is stretched and some voyages now take significantly longer. The Red Sea route also faces threats: Houthi forces have warned against Saudi-linked shipping and claimed a recent attack on an Aramco facility in Riyadh, a claim Riyadh disputes; Reuters reported East–West pipeline flows had not been interrupted as of Monday.