Saudi Aramco Considering Restart of Yanbu Port After Drone Attacks
Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, is preparing to resume crude oil loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu after a temporary shutdown caused by drone attacks on its East-West pipeline. The pipeline was attacked near the Iranian border and has been out of service since September 10, forcing increased reliance on ship-to-ship transfers through Oman’s Sohar Port as an alternative to bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. According to anonymous traders cited by Bloomberg, Aramco officials have informally informed at least three Asian refiners that they may soon be able to load crude from Yanbu again. While no official timeline has been provided for a full restart, sources indicate repairs could take between three and five weeks, with partial operations potentially resuming within days. The return of Yanbu as an export hub is expected to ease concerns over Saudi oil supply disruptions and support refiners aiming to capitalize on high refining margins. The East-West pipeline normally allows the country to reroute crude from its eastern fields directly to Red Sea ports.
Topics: crude oil exports East-West pipeline Saudi Aramco Strait of Hormuz Yanbu port