Shafaq News- Riyadh

Three pumping stations serving Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline were damaged in last week’s attack, one more than previously assessed, Reuters reported on Thursday.

Satellite imagery and industry sources supported the revised assessment, after oil and security officials had initially indicated that two sites were hit.

Three sources told the agency that repairs could take five to six weeks, although another suggested partial flows could resume sooner. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Saudi Aramco aims to restore around half of the route’s capacity “within days” by bypassing an affected section, with full operations targeted in roughly six weeks.

The 1,200-kilometer East-West Pipeline carries crude from eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, providing an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Aramco puts its capacity at around seven million barrels per day (bpd), including about two million bpd supplied to refineries.

Volumes have averaged four million to five million bpd over the past six months, equivalent to roughly 4% to 5% of global oil supply, as the US-Iran war has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted exports from other Gulf producers.

Saudi Arabia shut the pipeline on Friday after drone attacks that authorities traced to Iraq. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella of Iran-aligned Iraqi armed factions, denied involvement, and no group has claimed responsibility.

Industry assessments indicate that the system comprises 11 pumping stations and two pressure-relief stations.

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