Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Pipeline After Iraq-Launched Drone Attacks on Riyadh and Medina Pumping Stations, Cutting 700,000 bpd Export Capacity

Saudi Arabia shut down its East-West oil pipeline on Friday September 11 following drone attacks on pumping stations in the Riyadh and Medina regions on Thursday September 10, according to the Ministry of Energy. The ministry said the pipeline was closed as a precautionary measure after several drones launched from Iraqi territory struck multiple pump stations, causing injuries and fire damage visible in satellite imagery. Saudi officials attributed the attacks to Iranian-backed militia groups operating from Iraq, though Baghdad condemned the strikes and dismissed a military commander in Maysan province. The 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline, also known as the Petroline, carries approximately 5 million barrels per day from Saudi Arabia's eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite images published September 11 show extensive fire damage at a pumping station near Al Mesba'ah and black smoke from a second station near Al Dhekra. A Gulf News report citing energy ministry officials said the attack reduced throughput by 700,000 barrels per day and disrupted operations at oil and gas production, transport, and refining facilities across Riyadh, the Eastern Province, and Yanbu, killing one Saudi national and injuring seven others. The pipeline shutdown eliminates Saudi Arabia's primary workaround for the Strait of Hormuz closure, forcing the kingdom to either hold crude in storage or cut production at a time when global supply is already down 5.7 million barrels per day from 2025 levels, according to the IEA's September Oil Market Report. Saudi Arabia increased its use of the East-West pipeline following Iran's February 28 blockade of the Hormuz strait, which handles roughly 20 percent of global oil trade under normal conditions. Brent crude prices surged to $108.92 per barrel on September 11, up from $101.21 on September 9, and the closure compounds supply pressure as tanker freight rates on alternative routes hit record hi