Saudi Arabia has redirected oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following the closure of the Petroline pipeline on September 10. The 1,200 km infrastructure, which connects eastern oil fields to the port of Yanbu, was disabled after drone strikes hit pumping stations in the Riyadh and Medina regions.
Before the incident, the pipeline transported 4 to 5 million barrels per day, accounting for 4% to 5% of the global oil supply. Its total design capacity reaches 7 million barrels per day. Following the attack, Brent crude prices rose to between $105 and $110 per barrel by September 14.
Repair work on the damaged pumping stations is expected to take three to six weeks. Meanwhile, storage facilities at the Yanbu port can sustain export operations for only five to seven days. Saudi crude exports had already reached a 13-year low of 3.2 million barrels per day in August.
The kingdom has opted against immediate retaliation, responding to a request from the Iraqi prime minister to manage the situation internally. The Strait of Hormuz, which handles approximately one-fifth of global petroleum, remains a critical transit point amid ongoing regional geopolitical tensions.
