Media reports said Saudi Aramco had told several customers in Europe that crude oil shipments scheduled for next month would be halted after operations on the roughly 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline were suspended following a drone attack carried out by Sanaa forces that caused significant damage to three pumping stations.
Precautionary suspension and estimates for a resumption of operations
The Saudi Energy Ministry said that halting pipeline pumping in the Riyadh and Medina regions was a precautionary measure to secure the site and assess the damage.
Technical estimates indicate that partial operations on the pipeline could resume within days, with full capacity expected to be restored within 5 to 6 weeks.
The East-West pipeline transports between 4 million and 5 million barrels per day from fields in the Eastern Province to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing crude to be exported to Western markets while avoiding maritime chokepoints.
Potential impact on European supplies
Europe's imports of Saudi crude stood at about 577,000 barrels per day through June, while industry observers said a disruption to supplies could worsen the tightening of crude supplies from the Middle East and heighten volatility in global oil prices.
A Sanaa military spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack on behalf of its forces, saying the operation precisely targeted pumping stations on the East-West pipeline and warning that the targeting of vital facilities could be expanded.
