Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline, key Hormuz bypass, after attacks
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Saudi Arabia shuts East-West oil pipeline, key Hormuz bypass, after attacks")
Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. Photograph: (AFP)
Saudi Arabia has shut its key East-West crude pipeline after drone attacks, raising fresh concerns over global oil supplies as the US-Iran conflict continues to threaten critical energy routes.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut its crucial East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after multiple attacks targeted the facility, the kingdom's Energy Ministry said on Friday.
The pipeline was targeted in the Riyadh and Madinah regions on Thursday morning. Several people were injured in the attacks, according to the ministry.
Emergency teams were sent to secure the pipeline and assess its condition. The Energy Ministry said further updates would be announced as the situation develops.
The East-West pipeline, which has a capacity of 7 million barrels per day, carries crude from Saudi Arabia's eastern oil fields to export terminals on the Red Sea. It provides the kingdom with an alternative route that reduces its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports.
Iraq-linked drones target Saudi oil infrastructure
Saudi Arabia later said drones launched from Iraq had targeted the East-West pipeline.
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Riyadh said it would not retaliate for now following a request from the Iraqi prime minister. However, Saudi Arabia reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security and critical infrastructure, according to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
The latest attacks came after Houthi militants in Yemen launched strikes on Saudi Arabia earlier this week. The attacks targeted energy facilities and other assets and injured more than 70 people.
The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in July and have sought to disrupt the kingdom's oil exports through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the southern Red Sea with global markets.
Oil prices remain above $100 amid Middle East tensions
The attacks have added to concerns over global oil supplies as the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt key energy routes.
Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel earlier this week for the first time in months as fighting intensified across the region. Reports of the pipeline attack also added to market concerns, with crude prices ending the week more than 8 per cent higher.
Prices fell on Friday, however. Brent North Sea crude declined 2.8 per cent to $104.61 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate dropped 2.4 per cent to $100.05 a barrel.
The latest disruption to Saudi oil infrastructure comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the wider conflict, raising fresh concerns over the security of global energy supplies.
