{"id":124256,"date":"2026-09-13T10:53:55","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T05:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=124256"},"modified":"2026-09-13T14:01:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T08:31:21","slug":"saudi-east-west-pipeline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/saudi-east-west-pipeline\/","title":{"rendered":"Saudi East-West Pipeline Shutdown: Impact on Oil Supplies and India"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Saudi East-West Pipeline Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its <\/span><b>East-West oil pipeline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, also called <\/span><b>Petroline<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, after multiple attacks on the network. The attacks hit the Riyadh and Madinah regions and caused an unspecified number of injuries.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both Saudi Arabia and Iraq say the attacks originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Saudi authorities described the shutdown as precautionary while technical teams assess safety. The extent of damage and the duration of the shutdown remain unclear.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This comes at a time when global oil supplies are already strained by disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>A Dangerous New Front<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pipeline attack coincided with Yemen&#8217;s Houthi rebels seizing the strategically vital <\/span><b>Mayun Island<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the entrance to the Red Sea.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iran-backed Houthi forces have tightened their grip around the <\/span><b>Bab el-Mandeb<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>Red Sea shipping route<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these developments mark a dangerous expansion of the wider war with Iran and threaten the very route Saudi Arabia has relied on since Persian Gulf shipping effectively halted.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What the East-West Pipeline Is<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Runs roughly 1,200 km across <\/span><b>Saudi Arabia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, from the <\/span><b>Abqaiq oil processing centre<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the oil-rich east to the <\/span><b>Red Sea port of Yanbu<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the west.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operated by Saudi Aramco.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allows crude to move overland to the Red Sea, <\/span><b>bypassing the Strait of Hormuz<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Built partly as a hedge against disruption of oil flows through Hormuz.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Yanbu, tankers bound for Asia sail through the Bab el-Mandeb, while those headed west use the Suez Canal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Why Hormuz Matters<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. Before the West Asia war began over six months ago (late February), it carried a fifth of global oil flows.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is the main outlet from the Persian Gulf, on which Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE have depended to reach global markets, especially China and India.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>The Pipeline&#8217;s Role During the Hormuz Crisis<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Petroline can carry around 7 million barrels per day (bpd), of which about <\/span><b>5 million bpd is<\/b> <b>available for export<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the rest feeds domestic refineries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the war, the pipeline ran at a fraction of capacity as exports through Hormuz were normal. Once maritime traffic through the chokepoint ground to a halt, Aramco began pumping far more oil through Petroline.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Actual flows in recent months are estimated at 4\u20135 million bpd, which represents 4\u20135 per cent of global oil supplies. The pipeline has thus served as a vital safety valve.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its targeting shows that alternative routes themselves can become targets in a regional conflict.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Other Hormuz-Bypass Pipelines in West Asia<\/b><\/h2>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/wp\/current-affairs\/2026\/09\/13081445\/Oil-Pipelines-in-West-Asia.jpg\" alt=\"Oil Pipelines in West Asia\" title=\"Oil Pipelines in West Asia\" class=\"my-image my-image-size-full my-image-align-none\" style=\"width: auto; height: 466px;\" \/>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Operational:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Saudi East-West Pipeline; Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) in the UAE; Iraq-Turkey (Kirkuk-Ceyhan) pipeline, operating at marginal capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Closed or defunct:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Iraq-Syria (Kirkuk-Baniyas) pipeline; Iraq Strategic Pipeline; Trans-Arabian Pipeline; Iraqi Pipeline through Saudi Arabia (IPSA).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Proposed:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Iraq-Jordan (Basra-Aqaba) pipeline.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Likely Impact on Oil Markets<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brent crude crossed $100 a barrel recently after attacks on tankers and petroleum infrastructure in the region. The Petroline shutdown arrives when traders are already nervous.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Analysts consider three scenarios:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Quick repair<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> within days, no further attacks: Prices could retreat from current levels. Tankers can be redirected, inventories drawn down and other Saudi export infrastructure used.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Shutdown lasting weeks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with continuing threats around Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb: Prices could move higher.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Wider conflict<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Attacks spreading to more Saudi facilities, Yanbu, tankers or other Gulf export infrastructure could trigger a broad supply shock and sharply higher prices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>The Worry for India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Saudi Arabia has traditionally been among India&#8217;s top crude suppliers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite falling supplies during the Hormuz crisis, Saudi oil still accounted for 7\u20138 per cent of India&#8217;s total oil imports in recent months, most of it shipped from Yanbu.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first <\/span><b>impact will be on supplies<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, forcing Indian refiners to find replacement volumes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is manageable given India&#8217;s diversified import slate. The <\/span><b>bigger headache is higher prices for alternative barrels<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>India&#8217;s Rising Oil Import Bill<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India&#8217;s crude import bill surged over 56 per cent year-on-year in April\u2013July to $63.4 billion, even though volumes rose only slightly to 81.9 million tonnes from 81.5 million tonnes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is the world&#8217;s third-largest crude consumer and imports over 88 per cent of its requirement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India imports 1.8\u20132 billion barrels a year. Every $1-per-barrel rise adds up to $2 billion to the annual import bill.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every <\/span><b>10 per cent rise in oil prices widens the current account deficit by about 0.4 per cent of GDP<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Higher energy imports affect the trade balance, current account, inflation and the rupee. An oil shock acts as an external tax on the Indian economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Petroline attack exposes the fragility of even the alternative routes that have kept global oil flowing during the Hormuz crisis.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For India, the immediate risk is price rather than supply, but a prolonged shutdown or wider conflict could severely strain its import bill, current account and inflation. Energy diversification and strategic reserves remain critical.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b><strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-global\/saudi-east-west-oil-pipeline-attack-hormuz-explained-10874799\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2026\/09\/11\/politics\/saudi-arabian-oil-pipeline-hit-by-projectiles-triggering-fires\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Saudi East-West Pipeline shutdown amid Hormuz disruptions threatens oil supplies, oil prices and India\u2019s energy security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":124302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,10214,22,59],"class_list":["post-124256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","tag-mains-articles","tag-saudi-east-west-pipeline","tag-upsc-current-affairs","tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124256"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124301,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124256\/revisions\/124301"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124302"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}