Saudi Arabia’s Vital ‘Petroline’ Faces New Threat After Drone Attack
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Saudi Arabia‘s Ministry of Energy announced on Friday the cessation of oil transfers via the East-West pipeline due to drone attacks. Riyadh claimed these attacks originated from Iraq.
The pipeline, referred to as Petroline, is owned by Saudi Aramco and spans 1,200 kilometers, transporting oil from Abqaiq in eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. It has been recognized as a crucial domestic solution for oil transit, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
This pipeline has a transfer capacity of seven million barrels per day, with two million barrels allocated for refineries on the west coast and the remaining five million barrels designated for various uses, including exports.
The strategic importance of this pipeline became evident in 2026 when shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz experienced significant disruption, preventing Saudi Arabia from utilizing this vital waterway for its oil exports as it had previously. The Petroline represented one of Saudi Arabia’s most important tools for circumventing the Strait of Hormuz. However, it also faces risks amidst escalating tensions in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait. The recent drone attack on this pipeline underscores that overland oil transportation within Saudi Arabia continues to encounter substantial challenges.
