Saudi Arabia oil pipeline repairs after attack may take 3–5 weeks — AP
In Saudi Arabia, repairs to the damaged East–West oil pipeline after drone attacks may take from three to five weeks. OilPrice reports, citing two regional officials informed about the situation who spoke with the Associated Press.
Damage to a pumping station
Last week, Saudi Arabia temporarily halted operations on the East–West oil pipeline after drone strikes. According to the publication, the attacks were carried out from Iraqi territory near the border with Iran. Saudi authorities called the shutdown a precautionary measure and reported injuries as a result of the attack.
Satellite images by Vantor, released through Getty Images, showed damage to the oil pipeline, including one of the large pumping stations along its route. Saudi Arabia has not publicly specified either the extent of the damage or the timeline for repair work.
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Supplies through Yanbu
The pipeline is about 750 miles, or more than 1,200 kilometers, long. According to OilPrice, after the start of the war with Iran, Saudi Arabia used this route to export approximately 4 million barrels of oil per day via the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline made it possible to redirect most oil shipments from western Persian Gulf ports to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
One Associated Press source said the pipeline may operate partially during repairs but could not estimate possible oil transportation volumes. At the same time, at least four Asian refineries have not yet received clarifications from Saudi Arabia on the impact of the shutdown on scheduled loadings in Yanbu, Bloomberg reported, citing traders familiar with the talks. Two of these facilities expect to collect cargoes on schedule if no notice of delays arrives in the coming hours or days.
