Damage from the recent drone attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline appears broader than initially reported. Reuters said satellite imagery and industry sources indicate that three pumping stations were hit, up from the two sites previously understood to have been affected. The 1,200-kilometer system is strategically important because it allows Saudi crude to reach the Red Sea while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
A key bypass route is operating under stress
Before the attack, the East-West system had been moving roughly 4 million to 5 million barrels per day, equivalent to about 4% to 5% of global oil supply. With Hormuz traffic already sharply reduced, damage to this alternative route matters disproportionately: it limits the redundancy available to Saudi Arabia when Gulf shipping is disrupted.
Three Reuters sources estimated full repairs could require five to six weeks, while another said partial operations might resume sooner. That distinction is important for crude traders because partial restoration can improve export flexibility well before the pipeline returns to full capacity. Saudi authorities and Aramco had not publicly confirmed the detailed damage assessment in the Reuters report.
Saudi Arabia has been using alternative logistics, including crude movements through Oman, which helped push oil prices lower on Thursday. Those workarounds reduce immediate scarcity but do not eliminate infrastructure risk. A prolonged repair window leaves the export system more exposed if regional attacks intensify or Hormuz traffic deteriorates further.
The next catalysts are official confirmation from Saudi authorities or Aramco, evidence of partial pipeline restart, Yanbu export volumes, Oman rerouting capacity and any additional attacks on energy infrastructure. The combination of falling spot crude prices and persistent physical vulnerability argues for continued event-driven volatility rather than assuming the supply shock is fully resolved.
Affected markets: Oil & Energy · Commodities