East-West oil pipeline pumping halted after new attack: Saudi energy sector source

Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline was halted once more after a fresh attack on its critical infrastructure, according to a source within the kingdom's energy sector speaking to AFP on Monday. The attack targeted a pumping station east of Riyadh in Khurais, marking the second instance of damage to the pipeline in a single day.

The source revealed that prior to this, the pipeline had not faced any prior targeting. This incident occurred a day after the Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for targeting state oil company Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia, including infrastructure in Khurais. The East-West pipeline has been a target multiple times since the outbreak of war in the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

In late August, Saudi Arabia closed the East-West pipeline, which spans approximately 1,200 kilometers between its main oil fields in the east and the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea, following attacks on Saudi oil facilities linked to Iraq. The pipeline had been halted from September 11 to 22, as reported by commodity-tracking platform Kpler.

With Iran initiating a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz at the beginning of the Middle East conflict, the East-West pipeline became crucial for Riyadh's oil trade, serving as its primary export route.