Saudi Arabia to boost pipeline crude export capacity to 10m bpd

Saudi Arabia intends to boost its pipeline crude export capacity to a maximum of 10 million barrels per day, according to Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. This expansion could be achieved by repurposing a domestic gas pipeline and investing in the kingdom's existing East-West network, as announced at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh.

In the short term, the kingdom could increase its export capacity by up to 1.2 million barrels per day by temporarily converting a gas pipeline for crude shipments, noted the minister. Prince Abdulaziz suggested that up to 3 million barrels per day could be added overall through further investments. He informed Saudi Aramco that the pipeline could be utilized for oil transport until May, following which it would have to be cleaned and returned to gas service prior to the summer season.

According to the minister, upgrades to pumping stations on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline and other infrastructure projects could potentially lift the kingdom's capacity to divert shipments from its primary maritime Gulf and Red Sea routes to around 10 million barrels per day over the next two to three years.