Drone Attacks Halt Oil Flow on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline

Satellite images released show that a Saudi oil pumping station near the Al-Misbāh area suffered severe damage following a fire caused by drone attacks.

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said on Friday that oil transport through the East-West pipeline had been halted as a result of the attacks. Riyadh has claimed the strikes were carried out from Iraq.

According to the BBC, images taken on Friday show the extent of the damage at the pumping station. The images were released after the official announcement that oil transport along this route had been suspended.

The pipeline, also known as the Petroline, is owned by Saudi Aramco and is about 1,200 kilometres long. It carries oil from Abqaiq in eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast and is known as a route for transporting oil without using the Strait of Hormuz.