Saudi Arabia suspended operations of the 1,200-kilometer Petroline on September 11, 2026, following drone strikes on pumping stations. The pipeline typically transports four to five million barrels of oil per day, accounting for approximately four to five percent of the total global supply.
The shutdown caused Brent crude prices to rise above $100 per barrel, reaching $110. The facility in Yanbu currently holds about 15 million barrels in reserve, which is sufficient to maintain exports for five to seven days at current extraction levels.
Saudi Aramco has deployed repair crews to the site. The company expects to restore half of the pipeline's recent capacity within days, while full restoration is estimated to take five to eight weeks. The pipeline serves as a critical bypass for the Strait of Hormuz.
This incident follows a smaller attack in April 2026, which reduced capacity by approximately 700,000 barrels per day. The current disruption is more extensive, forcing a complete halt of the route that was originally designed for a peak capacity of seven million barrels per day.
