Saudi oil pipeline hit in strikes will be mostly out of service for several weeks for repair

Cairo: A crucial Saudi oil pipeline that was struck in an attack last week will mostly be out of service for weeks as the damage is repaired, two regional officials told The Associated Press.

The East-West Pipeline, which runs across the kingdom, is key to Saudi Arabia's strategy of shifting its oil exports to the Red Sea to avoid the Persian Gulf's Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have stifled shipping. The 1,200-kilometre pipeline can carry up to 7 million barrels of oil a day

An attack that Saudi Arabia blamed on drones from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq forced the shutdown of the pipeline on Thursday.


Also read: Saudi downs drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq amid US-Tehran lull

The officials, who have been briefed on the matter, said repairing the damage could take three to five weeks, including at a major pumping facility. One of the officials said the line may work partially while teams carry out the repairs.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to brief the media.

The Saudi oil company Aramco, which operates the pipeline, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The government-run Centre for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in the kingdom, said it was looking into an AP inquiry about how long it will take to repair the pipeline.