Saudi Arabia has restored the full capacity of the East-West pipeline, once again reaching a flow of nearly 7 million barrels per day. The recovery comes just days after attacks that affected critical energy infrastructure in the country.
According to the Ministry of Energy, both the piping system and associated facilities have resumed full operation. This energy corridor is key for crude oil exports, especially in a context marked by restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Recent attacks affected production and transport
During recent weeks, multiple missile and drone offensives struck oil facilities, refineries, and energy plants in strategic regions such as Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and Yanbu.
These actions caused a temporary reduction in the country’s production capacity. Specifically, pumping through the East-West pipeline was reduced by approximately 700,000 barrels per day, while total production fell by around 600,000 barrels per day.
Likewise, key fields such as Manifa and the Khurais plant recorded significant interruptions, affecting the supply of crude oil in the short term.
Progressive recovery of energy infrastructure
Saudi authorities confirmed that the affected volumes at the Manifa field have already been recovered. In parallel, work continues to fully restore production capacity at Khurais.
The speed of the technical response has limited the prolonged impact on oil production. This type of recovery reinforces the country’s ability to respond to operational disruptions in its energy infrastructure.
Impact on global oil supply
The East-West pipeline has established itself as a strategic route to guarantee Saudi exports. Its importance increases in geopolitical tension scenarios where other maritime routes may be compromised.
With the resumption of full flow, Saudi Arabia seeks to ensure the stability of supply to international markets. The normalization of crude oil transport contributes to reducing uncertainty in the global energy market.
Furthermore, the restoration of capacity strengthens the reliability of the Saudi energy system against future disruptive events.
Source: Reuters
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