Saudi East-West Pipeline Set for Quick Restart as Energy Secretary Signals Days, Not Weeks

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated Tuesday that Saudi Arabia’s 1,200-kilometer East-West oil pipeline, shut after attacks last week, should resume crude flows within days rather than weeks. Speaking on the sidelines of a G20 energy meeting in Houston, Wright told CNBC the outage is a “brief and temporary interruption” expected to be “measured in days,” following damage from strikes attributed to Iran-aligned groups. The pipeline had been moving 4-5 million barrels per day (about 4-5% of global supply) to the Red Sea port of Yanbu as an alternative to the disrupted Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict. Reuters reported varying repair timelines from sources, with some estimating 3-6 weeks for full fixes but noting potential for partial restarts sooner. The shutdown has already led to canceled late-September Saudi cargoes to European buyers, pushing Brent crude above $108 per barrel and prompting refiners like Poland’s Orlen to seek alternatives. Saudi crude production had already dropped to 6 million bpd in August, per the IEA. While Wright’s assessment emphasizes rapid recovery with U.S. military assistance for Hormuz routes, satellite imagery shows damage to pumping stations, and some analysts warn full restoration could take longer. This event underscores ongoing Middle East supply risks with direct effects on global energy prices and inventories.