Saudi Aramco has activated contingency protocols for its East-West Pipeline following Iran’s re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz Saturday. The pipeline transports crude from Eastern Province oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
With Hormuz effectively closed again to most commercial shipping, the 5 million bpd East-West Pipeline becomes Saudi Arabia’s primary export route. The pipeline was damaged by drone strikes April 8 but was restored to full capacity last week.
Aramco has upgraded physical security around pump stations and receiving terminals. The kingdom’s 2-3 million bpd of spare capacity makes it the world’s swing producer, though port infrastructure limits how quickly alternatives to Hormuz can ramp up.
Other Gulf producers (UAE, Kuwait, Iraq) are more Hormuz-dependent than Saudi Arabia and face greater logistical challenges. The UAE’s Fujairah port provides some bypass capability but serves a limited fraction of UAE exports.