From Yanbu to Sohar: Tracking Saudi Arabia’s alternative oil routes
Summary
Drone attacks damaged a major Saudi oil pipeline, stopping 4-5 million barrels of oil per day from reaching global markets. Saudi Arabia is now relying more on riskier and costlier shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz and stored reserves to export its oil.Key Facts
- Drone attacks hit Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, which connects oil fields in the east to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
- The pipeline outage stopped about 4-5 million barrels of oil per day from being exported.
- Saudi oil exports fell over 70%, from about 7.5 million bpd in early 2026 to around 2.1-2.3 million bpd by September 2026.
- Most Saudi crude oil usually ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow and strategic waterway.
- Due to the pipeline halt and regional tensions, Saudi Arabia is shifting exports back through the Gulf and using ship-to-ship transfers near Oman.
- Tankers sometimes turn off their tracking systems, called AIS, to reduce risks when passing through dangerous areas.
- Saudi Arabia can also use stored oil at western ports and Egypt’s terminals to keep supplying Europe.
- Repair time for the damaged pipeline may take 3 to 5 weeks or longer, affecting global oil supply and costs.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
