Saudi Arabia has ramped up production at its desert oil pipeline to record levels amid the war with Iran
For the first time in history, Saudi Arabia has brought its East-West oil pipeline (Petroline) up to full capacity, which will help partially offset the effects of the energy crisis caused by the operation against Iran.
This was reported by Bloomberg and Al Arabiya.
As of March 28, 7 million barrels per day are flowing through the 1,200-km pipeline—a historic high for the pipeline, which was built in 1981 to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
About 5 million barrels are destined for export via the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, with the remainder going to domestic refineries. Aramco completed the conversion of adjacent lines in early March to achieve these figures.
The pipeline cannot fully replace the maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, but it remains crucial for the global economy, transporting oil from Persian Gulf fields to the Red Sea. Other routes, such as the ADCOP pipeline in the UAE, have significantly lower capacity—only 1.5 million barrels per day.
At the same time, the infrastructure remains vulnerable: the pipeline has previously been targeted by drone attacks from Yemeni Houthis, and current tensions in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait also pose risks to access to the Red Sea. Furthermore, the pipeline’s capacity exceeds the port of Yanbu’s ability to quickly load tankers, creating a logistical bottleneck.
As a reminder, on March 18, Saudi Arabia proposed an alternative route for oil shipments via the port of Yanbu while the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked.
Oil prices rose slightly after Donald Trump announced the postponement of strikes on Iran’s energy facilities. Brent rose to $109 per barrel, and WTI to $94.9. The market is experiencing uncertainty due to the threat of military action and the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Also, high oil and gas prices: who stands to gain from a war in Iran.
Over the past two days, seven ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz — TRT.
