Saudi Arabia Restarts East-West Oil Pipeline at Reduced Rate After Drone Attack

Saudi Arabia has restarted the East-West Pipeline, three sources familiar with operations told Reuters, after a September 11 drone attack from Iraq halted Yanbu loadings. Two sources said crude was moving at reduced speed; another said Saudi Aramco aimed to lift throughput to about 4 million barrels a day, though timing was uncertain. Yanbu exports could resume as early as late September 22. Before the shutdown, Saudi Arabia had routed roughly 4 million barrels daily through the line, about 4% of global supply, to bypass disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz; Aramco did not immediately comment.