Saudi Aramco is working to restore roughly half the capacity of its damaged East-West Pipeline within days, with full repairs targeted in about six weeks. The line, which carried 4 to 5 million barrels a day before last week's drone attacks, is Saudi Arabia's main route to global markets while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted. Traders estimated the kingdom had five to seven days of export inventory left at Yanbu, while Brent crude traded near $105 on Wednesday.
Bypass targets half of lost capacity
Saudi Aramco aims to bypass the damaged section of its 1,200-km East-West Pipeline and restore roughly half its capacity within days, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. Full restoration is targeted in approximately six weeks.
The pipeline carried 4 to 5 million barrels per day of crude oil before last week's drone attacks forced its shutdown, according to Reuters — equivalent to 4% to 5% of global oil supply. Saudi Arabia attributed the attack to drones operated by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
Pipeline became the kingdom's main export artery
The East-West Pipeline became a critical artery for Saudi oil exports after the Strait of Hormuz was severely disrupted following the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28, 2026. With that sea route largely closed, the pipeline represented Saudi Arabia's primary path to move oil to Red Sea terminals at Yanbu and onto global markets.
Its shutdown last Friday left traders estimating the kingdom had only five to seven days of export inventory at Yanbu before its ability to supply global markets would be critically curtailed. The Associated Press, cited by StreetInsider, reported separately that repairs to a major pumping facility could take three to five weeks, with partial operations possible during that window — a timeline broadly consistent with the Bloomberg account.
Brent holds near $105 as Aramco pivots exports
With the pipeline offline, Saudi Arabia is ramping up prompt crude sales routed outside the Strait of Hormuz, pivoting to move oil through alternative channels, Bloomberg reported separately. The exact volume the bypass will carry has not been disclosed, though it implies roughly 2 to 2.5 million barrels per day, based on the pipeline's pre-attack throughput.
Brent crude spot prices were trading near $105 on Wednesday. European natural gas prices were also reaching new highs amid the disruption. A successful partial restart in the coming days would ease the most acute near-term supply risk and could weigh on a Brent price that has climbed sharply on the disruption.
Prediction markets price the probability of crude oil reaching a new all-time high by September 30 at 1.6% YES. The odds of a new high by December 31 stand at 16% YES.
Sources: Investing.com, Crypto Briefing
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