30 mins ago
Saudi East-West Pipeline Closure Threatens Global Oil Supplies and Prices
Saudi Arabia has closed an important pipeline after an attack.
The pipeline moves oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea.
It helps ships avoid the narrow Strait of Hormuz.
Fixing it could take three to five weeks.
Some ships are still using the Strait of Hormuz, but fewer than before the war.
Fighting near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has also threatened another oil route.
With fewer safe routes, less oil may reach world markets.
This can make gasoline, diesel, heating and other goods more expensive.
Saudi Arabia closed its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after an attack it blamed on Iranian-backed Iraqi militias.
Repairs could take three to five weeks, according to two regional officials cited by The Associated Press.
The pipeline had carried an estimated 2.6 million to 4 million barrels of oil daily to the Red Sea.
Strait of Hormuz traffic has resumed partially, while oil flows through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait may have fallen to zero.
Brent crude topped USD 105 per barrel, while fuel prices rose sharply in several countries, including the United States.
- Who
- Saudi Arabia closed the pipeline after an attack it blamed on Iranian-backed militias in Iraq; analysts warned about the effects on global oil markets.
- What
- A major East-West oil pipeline was shut, potentially removing up to 4 million barrels of daily oil flows from the market.
- Where
- The pipeline crosses Saudi Arabia from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, with associated disruptions affecting the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
- When
- The closure was reported on September 15, 2026, after the attack; repairs were estimated to take three to five weeks.
- Why
- The pipeline was closed for repairs after the attack, while war-related threats have already restricted other Middle Eastern oil-shipping routes.
Supply Shock Concerns
Remaining Export Alternatives
Impact of the pipeline closure
Supply Shock Concerns
Rystad Energy said up to 4 million barrels per day could disappear from the market, increasing the risk of higher prices and shortages.
Remaining Export Alternatives
Saudi inventories could support exports in the short term, and some tanker traffic has resumed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Severity for Saudi oil exports
Supply Shock Concerns
Threats to the East-West pipeline and Red Sea shipping routes could sharply reduce Saudi Arabia's ability to move oil to international buyers.
Remaining Export Alternatives
A maritime historian said the closure would not be catastrophic because Saudi Arabia can still export some oil through the partially reopened Strait of Hormuz.
Effects on consumers
Supply Shock Concerns
Analysts warned that higher fuel and energy costs could spill over into prices for transport, food, fertilizer and other essentials.
Remaining Export Alternatives
The article does not identify a specific offsetting consumer benefit, though limited alternative routes and inventories may moderate the immediate disruption.
Key facts
- Pipeline length
- Approximately 1,200 kilometres across Saudi Arabia.
- Estimated oil flow at risk
- Rystad Energy estimated 2.6 million to 4 million barrels per day.
- Potential repair time
- Three to five weeks, according to two regional officials.
- Brent crude price
- More than USD 105 per barrel on Monday.
- Strait of Hormuz traffic
- Lloyd's List Intelligence recorded 90 transits in the first week of September, compared with about 130 daily before the war.
- US gasoline price
- Nearly USD 4.32 per gallon on average Monday, about 45% above the pre-war price.
- US diesel price
- USD 6.23 per gallon on average Monday, nearly 66% above the start-of-war price.
Quotes
Salvatore Mercogliano
Professor of maritime history at Campbell University in North Carolina
“If this (East-West pipeline) was the only method for Saudi Arabia to get their oil out it would be absolutely cataclysmic. But since the Hormuz route has opened back up -- not completely but opened up some -- it's not the death knell for Saudi Arabia. They're getting oil out.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Melius Research analysts
Analysts at the financial research firm Melius Research
“An inflationary spillover is likely”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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