Satellite images show repairs and the completion of a bypass on Saudi Arabia's east-west Petroline oil pipeline, which was damaged on September 10 from drone attacks. Saudi Arabia has reportedly already resumed oil shipments via the pipeline, according to the WSJ, citing Reuters.
The 201-mil-long Petroline, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea, is a vital alternative transport route that has played a central role in Saudi oil exports during the war over the past six months. If it is true that shipments via the Petroline have resumed, this represents a significant setback for Iran and its allied proxy groups in Iraq and Yemen.
The oil pipeline is reportedly capable of transporting between 4 and 7 million barrels of oil per day, which is a significant portion of the 20 million metric tons of oil that normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Add to that the fact that the U.S. Department of Defense states that between 5 and 10 million barrels of oil are already being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz at night, when Iranian attacks can be avoided.
As SCE has previously reported, several of the region’s leading oil producers have begun working intensively to minimize the geopolitical significance of the Strait of Hormuz. This includes planning for additional pipelines and other eastward transportation routes—all with the aim of minimizing the future risks of the strait being held hostage by Iran.
