Story perspectives

Saudi East-West Pipeline Reopens, Loading 12.5 Million Barrels

By Drooid · Sep 30, 2026, 11:04 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline resumed partial operations, letting tankers load crude.
Satellite images show nine tankers loading about 12.5 million barrels since Sunday.
Flow has been restored to roughly 3.5 million barrels per day.
The pipeline was shut on Sept 11 after a drone attack blamed on an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia.
Saudi Energy Ministry and Saudi Aramco declined to comment on the restart.

History

Historical Context

On 14 September 2019 Houthi-claimed drones crippled Saudi Aramco’s Abqaiq and Khurais plants, cutting 5.7 million barrels per day and triggering a national emergency. The 2023 drone strike on the East-West pipeline, attributed to an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, repeats that exposure, prompting Aramco and Gulf allies to harden pipelines and seek alternative export routes.

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Story summary

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline resumed partial operations, letting tankers load crude.
Satellite images show nine tankers loading about 12.5 million barrels since Sunday.
Flow has been restored to roughly 3.5 million barrels per day.
The pipeline was shut on Sept 11 after a drone attack blamed on an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia.
Saudi Energy Ministry and Saudi Aramco declined to comment on the restart.

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