Key facts
- Satellite imagery shows significant damage to Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline.
- The damage occurred at a pumping station along the pipeline.
- Experts estimate repairs could take four to six weeks.
- The closure could reduce oil supplies by up to 3.6 million barrels per day.
- Brent crude oil traded as high as $108 a barrel on Tuesday.
- The Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on the pipeline and King Khalid Air Base.
Satellite imagery has revealed extensive damage to a crucial oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia following a strike last week, with experts warning that repairs could take over a month and potentially drive oil prices higher. The most significant damage is concentrated at a pumping station along the East-West Pipeline, a vital artery for Saudi crude exports via the Red Sea. This route has become increasingly important as tensions have risen in the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has accused Iranian-backed militias in Iraq of carrying out the pipeline strike, which follows a series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen's Houthi group, also backed by Iran, on southwestern Saudi Arabia. In response, Saudi Arabia has conducted retaliatory strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in western Yemen. New satellite images also show damage to Saudi Arabia's King Khalid Air Base following a Houthi strike last week. The Saudi government stated on Tuesday that it would respond "firmly" to Houthi attacks. While the Houthis are engaged in a civil war against Saudi-backed forces, they have intensified their campaign recently, seizing territory overlooking the Bab al-Mandab waterway and strengthening their ability to enforce a declared blockade of Saudi shipping. The price of Brent crude oil surged following Saudi Arabia's announcement on Friday that it was closing the pipeline as a precaution, reaching as high as $108 a barrel on Tuesday, a slight decrease from Monday's $109.80. Experts from trade intelligence firm Kpler estimate that the pipeline's closure could reduce global oil supplies by up to 3.6 million barrels per day, approximately 3.6% of global demand. Homayoun Falakshahi, Kpler's head of crude oil analysis, indicated that repairs might take four to six weeks due to spare parts availability and supply chain issues. Anne-Sophie Corbeau from Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy commented that pipelines are vulnerable and that workarounds to avoid the Strait of Hormuz may not be reliable. The Houthis have previously targeted Saudi oil infrastructure, leading to temporary suspensions of operations. Attacks on military bases have also occurred, with new satellite images from Monday showing damage to King Khalid Air Base, which the Houthis claimed to have targeted with ballistic missiles and drones used for strikes on Yemen. At least three aircraft hangars or shelters appear damaged at the base, which houses US-made F-15 fighter jets. The Saudi-led military coalition reported that a Houthi missile and drone attack injured 13 people in strikes on what they described as "civilian objects." The Houthis, however, stated that Saudi Arabia carried out over 50 strikes in western Yemen within the preceding 24 hours. The UN Refugee Agency has reported that over 100,000 people have been internally displaced by the renewed conflict.