Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTTsvetana ParaskovaFri, September 18, 2026 at 1:00 AM GMT+2 5 min readThe temporary closure of the key onshore pipeline Saudi Arabia uses to bypass the Strait of Hormuz has added another shock to an oil market already struggling with six months of Middle East supply disruptions.And the damage now appears to be more extensive than initially believed.Three pumping stations along Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline were damaged in last week's attack, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing satellite imagery and industry sources. Earlier assessments had identified damage at two stations. Three sources told Reuters that repairs could take five to six weeks, although partial pumping could resume sooner.Before the attack, the system was moving between 4 million and 5 million barrels per day (bpd), equivalent to roughly 4%–5% of global oil supply. Its total capacity is around 7 million bpd, including approximately 2 million bpd supplied to refineries.Saudi Arabia shut the pipeline following multiple attacks on September 10. Satellite imagery previously published by MizarVision showed extensive fire and structural damage around pumping stations along the route.Saudi Arabia Races to Restore Pipeline FlowsThe revised damage assessment comes as Saudi Aramco races to restore at least part of the pipeline's capacity.Aramco is seeking to bring roughly half of the route's capacity back online within days, according to Bloomberg, potentially by bypassing damaged infrastructure. Full operations could take around six weeks to restore.That broadly corresponds with the latest Reuters assessment that repairs could take five to six weeks, although some pumping could resume while work continues.Related: America Is Paying a Lot for Fuel, Not Running Out of GasolineEven a partial restart would provide some relief to an increasingly strained physical oil market.With the East-West pipeline shut down, Brent crude surged to around $108 per barrel earlier this week as traders confronted the loss of the biggest Middle Eastern oil export route that does not involve Hormuz.Saudi Arabia has relied heavily on the pipeline since the war began, moving roughly 4 million to 5 million bpd through the system during the past six months.Meanwhile, crude inventories at Yanbu offer only a limited buffer.Stocks at the Red Sea hub have fallen by nearly 6 million barrels over the past two months, from around 21 million barrels in July to below 15 million barrels, according to Kpler."At 3.5 million bpd, 15 million barrels represents little more than four days of theoretical supply," Kpler analysts Amena Bakr and Michelle Brouhard noted earlier this week.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info