Key facts
- Saudi Arabia has resumed crude oil loadings at Yanbu port.
- The East-West pipeline has partially restarted after drone attacks.
- Nine tankers loaded approximately 12.5 million barrels of crude since Sunday.
- The pipeline is operating at reduced rates, with pumping resuming.
- Full repairs are expected to take weeks due to damaged pumping equipment.
Saudi Arabia has resumed crude oil loadings at its Red Sea port of Yanbu after the East-West pipeline, also known as Petroline, partially restarted following drone attacks. Nine tankers have loaded approximately 12.5 million barrels of crude since Sunday, with three cargoes loaded in the past 24 hours, indicating the 750-mile pipeline is at least partly operational again.
Saudi authorities had shut down the pipeline on September 11 after it was damaged in a drone attack attributed to an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia. Kpler reported that the pipeline has resumed operations, though the energy ministry and Aramco declined to comment. Pumping has resumed at reduced rates, with Aramco targeting around 4 million barrels per day, and full repairs are expected to take weeks due to damaged pumping equipment.
The restart eases pressure on Saudi exports, as the East-West pipeline has become the kingdom's primary export route following disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. However, shipments via the Red Sea remain vulnerable to attacks in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where Houthi rebels hold influence.