Shutdown of Saudi Oil Pipeline Removes 4% of Global Oil Supply
Drone attacks shut Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, with repairs expected to take weeks.
The Saudi Arabian East-West oil pipeline was shut down Friday after multiple drone attacks left it in flames. The shutdown takes a major Saudi crude export route carrying 4% of global oil supply offline. The Associated Press quoted regional officials who estimated the pipeline would be offline for three to five weeks for repairs. Other oil industry analysts estimated six weeks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later said the East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions was targeted by “several drones coming from Iraq,” resulting in “injuries and some damage that is currently being addressed.”
The East-West pipeline has served as a critical outlet for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports amid disruptions from the Iran war. The pipeline, which can carry up to 7 million barrels per day, runs across the kingdom to export terminals on the Red Sea.
The Houthis now control Yemin’s entire Red Sea coast including the island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea. The Houthis have declared the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off limits to any Saudi ships.
The attacks on the pipeline system come as Saudi oil production has fallen to its lowest level this year. Saudi Arabia produced just 6.2 million barrels per day in August, its lowest monthly level of 2026 and 23% below July, according to OPEC data reported by the Financial Times. In addition, its crude exports fell to about 3.1 million barrels per day in August, down from 5.1 million barrels per day in July, its lowest level since at least 2013, according to Kpler.
The disruption comes amid a broader escalation in threats to Saudi energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping. Earlier this week, the Houthis launched a large missile-and-drone attack on southern Saudi Arabia, striking energy infrastructure including facilities operated by Saudi Aramco, the state oil giant that produces about 10 million barrels a day, which amounts to roughly 10% of the world’s total oil demand. The attacks hit the southern Saudi Arabian cities of Jazan, Najran, Abha and Khamis Mushait, wounding 73 people and sparking fires at energy facilities and utilities that forced some operations to stop, according to Saudi officials.
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Associated Press, Saudi oil pipeline hit in strikes will be mostly out of service for several weeks for repair, September 14
The Guardian, Satellite images show extent of damage to major Saudi pipeline, amid global oil supply fears, September 14
Bloomberg, Saudi Shuts Oil Pipeline That Bypasses Hormuz After Attacks, September 11
CNBC, Saudi Arabia shut down East-West crude oil pipeline after multiple attacks by drones from Iraq, September 11
CNN, Saudi oil pipeline shut down after attack triggers fires, September 11
Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia condemns the targeting of the East-West pipeline by drones coming from Iraq., September 11
Saudi Arabia Ministry of Energy, General / East-West pipeline shut down as a precaution after being targeted multiple times, September 11
The Wall Street Journal, Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Pipeline That Was a Crucial Hormuz Bypass, September 11
Associated Press, Saudi Arabia shuts down a pipeline as Houthis seize an island, opening a new front in the Iran war, September 11