Saudi oil pipeline resumes exports after drone attack
The East-West Pipeline is being operated at low speed for now, while it remains unclear when full capacity will return.
Saudi Arabia has restarted the East-West Pipeline after a shutdown, sources told Reuters. The restart offers some relief to the oil market, but does not mean export capacity has been fully restored.
The pipeline was shut down on 13 September after a drone attack caused damage. According to three sources spoken to by Reuters, the line resumed operations on 22 September. Two of those sources said the oil initially flowed only at low speed.
The East-West Pipeline runs for approximately 1,200 kilometres from oil fields in eastern Saudi Arabia to the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. This enables Saudi Aramco to bring oil to the global market without having to sail through the Strait of Hormuz.
That detour is economically and strategically important. The war involving Iran has put shipping through the Strait of Hormuz under pressure. As a result, the pipeline has become one of the most important alternatives for Saudi exporters, although it cannot resolve every disruption in the region.
On the day of the reported restart, the Brent price fell below 100 dollars per barrel, according to The National. The newspaper quoted a Brent price of 97.81 dollars and a West Texas Intermediate price of 89.50 dollars. These were market prices on 22 September, not the current price today.
Reports of the restart initially came from anonymous sources, as Saudi Aramco did not immediately respond to questions from Reuters. It is also unclear how much oil is now being loaded via Yanbu and when transport can resume at full capacity.
For refineries and traders, the partial restart mainly means that some of the uncertainty is receding. However, they must continue to take account of further damage, delays and higher transport costs as long as alternative routes and ports remain under pressure.
The development shows how vulnerable the oil market is when a single infrastructure link fulfils several functions at once: an export channel, a detour around a geopolitical chokepoint and a safety buffer. The pipeline is working again, but the underlying risks to supply have not disappeared.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The pipeline was partially restarted after a drone attack.
- The line provides a route to Yanbu that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz.
- Full capacity has not been confirmed.
Left
Arguments The vulnerability of oil infrastructure underlines the need to switch more quickly to energy sources that are less fossil-fuel dependent and less geopolitically vulnerable.
Values Climate responsibility, energy security and reducing dependencies.
Consequences An accelerated energy transition requires investment, but could reduce future price shocks and strategic dependence.
Centre
Arguments In the short term, countries and companies must stabilise the flow of oil; in the longer term, diversification, strategic reserves and diplomatic de-escalation are needed.
Values Stability, affordability and risk management.
Consequences A pragmatic approach prevents acute shortages, but leaves structural dependence on oil in place for the time being.
Right
Arguments The restart demonstrates the importance of robust infrastructure, national security measures and free energy markets. Saudi Arabia must be able to protect its own export capacity.
Values Energy security, national sovereignty and economic continuity.
Consequences Greater protection and investment can stabilise the market, but may also increase the military and financial costs of dependence on fossil fuels.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Reporting on the restart is based on Reuters and supported by RTÉ and AP. Market prices are explicitly linked to 22 September and are not presented as current prices for the day.
- confirmed Saudi Arabia resumed operations at the East-West Pipeline on 22 September. — Reuters reported the restart based on three sources; RTÉ published the same development. source
- confirmed The line initially operated at low speed. — Two Reuters sources reported a low pumping rate. source
- confirmed The pipeline is approximately 1,200 kilometres long and connects the east with Yanbu on the Red Sea. — AP describes the pipeline's length and route. source
- confirmed Brent was quoted at 97.81 dollars per barrel on 22 September. — The National reported this market price on that date. source
- confirmed The timing of a full restoration of capacity is unknown. — The sources consulted report a low-speed restart, but no confirmed time for full capacity. source
Editor's note
The restart, the earlier shutdown and the pipeline's function are certain. The exact current flow rate and the date of full restoration are unknown.Sources
- Saudi Arabia restarts East-West oil pipeline, to resume exports from Yanbu — Reuters via Investing.com
- Saudi pipeline restarts operations, oil exports to resume — RTÉ
- Saudi Arabia shuts down a pipeline as Houthis seize an island — AP News
- Saudi Arabia restarts East-West pipeline for crude exports — The National