A Houthi drone attack has severely damaged Saudi Arabia's East-West Oil Pipeline, prompting a precautionary shutdown and raising security concerns.
Houthi Attack on Saudi Arabia's Critical Oil Pipeline
U.S. officials have confirmed that the critical East-West Oil Pipeline, which transports Gulf oil to an alternative route through the Strait of Hormuz, has been damaged in a Houthi attack.
Analysis of satellite images revealed significant and severe damage at two pump stations along the pipeline. Extensive fire traces were detected at one of the stations.
In satellite images that emerged after the attack, a large cloud of smoke was seen rising from the pipeline route, while data obtained from infrared remote sensing systems indicated the presence of numerous fire points in the area.
Data from NASA's VIIRS and FIRMS systems indicated that sudden heat increases detected along the pipeline were indicative of active fires. Experts suggest that these points may have resulted from emergency flare-ups or additional damage caused by the attacks.
Pipeline Shut Down as a Precaution
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Energy announced that the East-West Oil Pipeline was shut down as a precaution following numerous attacks across the country.
The ministry also reported that many people were injured in the attacks carried out on Thursday morning.
The East-West Oil Pipeline is strategically important for transporting crude oil extracted from production areas in eastern Saudi Arabia to terminals on the Red Sea coast. The pipeline is considered one of the main alternative routes that reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on the Strait of Hormuz for its oil exports.
Was the Attack Launched from Iraq?
A U.S. official claimed that the attack was carried out using drones launched from a location in Iraq.
If this claim is confirmed, the attack would indicate a long-range UAV operation that crossed a significant portion of Saudi Arabian airspace. This raises new questions regarding the capacity of Saudi Arabia's air defense systems to detect and intercept such attacks.
It has not yet been confirmed which group directly carried out the attack.
While Iran-backed militia groups have a strong presence in Iraq, it is known that Houthi forces in Yemen have previously used Iraqi territory to launch attacks against targets in Saudi Arabia.
Thus far, the Houthis have primarily conducted attacks from their operational areas in southwestern Saudi Arabia. The Aramco facilities on the Red Sea coast, particularly the large refinery in Jazan, have previously been targeted in Houthi attacks.
Meanwhile, according to Axios, the Trump administration rejected military support requested by Saudi Arabia in response to the increasingly effective and aggressive Houthi threat.
Oil Prices Fell
The attack on the pipeline and reports of Houthi territorial gains around Bab el-Mandeb did not bring the expected rise in the oil market.
On Friday, the price of Brent crude fell by approximately 3%, dropping to $104 per barrel.
The movement in the markets is believed to have been influenced by various developments regarding global oil supply.
Oil Flow Through the Strait of Hormuz Has Increased Again
On the other hand, a significant development occurred in oil transportation in the Gulf region.
According to data from TankerTrackers.com, the daily average flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz exceeded 10 million barrels. This increase is considered a significant turning point following months of Iranian-imposed restrictions.
While the threat of Iranian attacks and risks to tanker crew safety continue, the increase in tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has also led to a rise in ship-to-ship (STS) transfer activities off Fujairah.
Shuttle tankers transporting oil from Gulf countries are reported to be transferring their cargo to large-capacity VLCC tankers located in safer anchorage areas in the Gulf of Oman for final delivery.
TankerTrackers.com noted that despite the flow in the East-West Oil Pipeline being affected by the attack, Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports have been on the rise in recent weeks.
According to the company, exports from major oil terminals in eastern Saudi Arabia have significantly increased, with a substantial portion of these shipments being conducted under the protection of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) through the Strait of Hormuz.
It is expected that the Saudi terminals on the Red Sea coast will largely utilize stored oil for exports during this process.
TankerTrackers.com indicated that Saudi Arabia has previously implemented a similar operational process.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
