Saudi Arabia intends to expand its East-West oil pipeline to a capacity of 10 million barrels per day (bpd) within two to three years, OilPrice.com reported, citing Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. Speaking at the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, the minister outlined plans to strengthen the overland route that allows Saudi crude exports to avoid the Strait of Hormuz.
The 740-mile pipeline, known as Petroline, currently has a maximum capacity of 7 million bpd. The planned expansion would add 3 million bpd despite continuing conflict and disruption. According to the report, the minister said last week that the line was carrying about 5.8 million bpd, having resumed operations after drone attacks in September prompted a two-week shutdown.
Petroline has become central to maintaining Saudi crude shipments following the closure of Hormuz, OilPrice.com said. The kingdom has used the pipeline to redirect most of its crude exports away from the strait, with growing volumes shipped through Yanbu on the Red Sea. The expansion would increase capacity on that alternative export route, rather than relying on passage through Hormuz.
The Red Sea option nevertheless faces its own security threats. OilPrice.com reported that Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis pledged in July to stop Saudi shipments passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. That passage provides the shortest shipping route between Yanbu and Asian markets, leaving the alternative export corridor exposed to a separate potential disruption.
At the congress on Monday, Prince Abdulaziz argued that energy resilience depended on maintaining deliveries under pressure, alongside the ability to repair infrastructure, redirect supplies, find substitutes and restore operations. Saudi Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser told the same gathering that the company was examining further crude export routes in coordination with the Ministry of Energy and working to expand storage overseas. Nasser also described efforts to reduce risks and damage by using advanced technologies for facility inspections and faster restoration.