Saudi Arabia resumed operations on the East-West pipeline, known as Petroline, on Tuesday after it was shut down following drone attacks, according to 3 sources familiar with the matter. Two sources said oil was currently flowing through the pipeline at a reduced rate, with crude loadings from Yanbu port potentially resuming later in the day.
Saudi Arabia had shut down the pipeline on September 13 after drone attacks, bringing crude oil loading operations at Yanbu port on the Red Sea coast to a halt.
A 1200-kilometer pipeline
The East-West pipeline, owned and operated by Aramco, stretches for about 1200 kilometers and links oil production and processing facilities in the kingdom’s eastern Abqaiq area with export facilities in Yanbu in the west.
Pipeline capacity and export route
The pipeline has a maximum capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, according to data released by Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry in April 2026. Aramco allocates about 2 million barrels per day of that capacity to supply refineries on the western coast.
The pipeline allows Saudi Arabia to transport crude overland to the Red Sea and export it through the western coast, reducing its reliance on passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Its importance has increased as shipping traffic through the strait has declined during the current year.
Estimates for Yanbu port loadings
Tanker-tracking data indicate that actual flows through the western coast remained below the pipeline’s maximum capacity.
Vortexa estimated Yanbu port loadings at about 3.7 million barrels per day in early September, compared with 3.2 million in August, while Kpler estimated September loadings at about 2.9 million barrels per day, compared with about 1.5 million in August.
