Saudi Aramco is working to bypass the damaged section of the 1,200-kilometer East–West Pipeline, with the goal of restoring roughly half of its operating capacity within days and returning the line to full capacity in about six weeks, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Before Saudi Arabia suspended the pipeline as a precaution following an attack, it transported between 4 million and 5 million barrels of oil per day, equivalent to approximately 4% to 5% of global oil supplies.
A partial restart in the coming days could ease short-term concerns about supply shortages and place downward pressure on Brent crude prices, which have surged amid disruptions to oil supplies.
Spot Brent remains the clearest market indicator of the impact of the disruption. Spot crude was trading near $105 per barrel on Wednesday.
Strategic Oil Route
The East–West Pipeline is a key component of Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and plays an important role in global energy security. Its strategic significance has grown following severe disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. military campaign against Iran began on February 28, 2026.
The pipeline transports crude from production and processing facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea coast, enabling access to global markets without direct reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.
With the maritime route largely closed, the pipeline has become Saudi Arabia’s main route for moving oil to export terminals in Yanbu on the Red Sea and then onward to international markets.
Saudi Arabia shut down the East–West Pipeline as a precaution after two sites along its route were targeted last week. The suspension came as global markets faced rising demand for supplies and crude prices in London approached $110 per barrel in recent days.
The Kingdom attributed the attack to drones operated by Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
The pipeline’s maximum capacity is approximately 7 million barrels per day following an expansion that utilized existing infrastructure, compared with its original nominal capacity of around 5 million barrels per day.
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