Saudi Aramco halts oil supplies to Europe after pipeline attack

East-West pipeline carries Saudi crude to the Red Sea, bypassing Strait of Hormuz.

Riyadh: Saudi Aramco has told at least two European refining customers that they will receive no Saudi crude oil in October following the shutdown of the kingdom’s key East-West pipeline, Bloomberg reported on Friday, September 18.

The decision affects European customers that normally receive Saudi crude under term contracts providing regular monthly supplies. People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the October allocations would not be provided. They requested anonymity because the information is not public.

Saudi Aramco has not publicly commented on the reported cancellations.

The development follows the shutdown of the East-West pipeline, also known as Petroline, after it was targeted by drones on September 10. The attack damaged pumping stations and disrupted crude loadings at the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

The 1,200-kilometre pipeline carries Saudi crude from the kingdom’s eastern oil-producing areas to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. It provides an alternative export route that allows Saudi Arabia to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Satellite imagery showed significant damage at the affected facility, including areas blackened by fire. Crude that escaped from the damaged site was also visible across the surrounding desert.

Repair estimates have varied. Reuters reported that some sources expected restoration to take five to six weeks, while another indicated that limited pumping could resume sooner. The earlier report said Aramco was working to restore partial operations within days and return the pipeline to full capacity within six weeks.

The disruption has pushed European refiners to seek alternative supplies. Poland’s Orlen has issued more than 10 tenders since Friday to secure replacement crude, according to the report.

Saudi crude can reach European markets through Egypt’s Sidi Kerir port on the Mediterranean coast, which is connected to the Red Sea by the SUMED pipeline.

European members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development imported an average of 577,000 barrels per day of Saudi crude in June, according to the International Energy Agency’s latest Oil Market Report.

The reported suspension of October deliveries adds to concerns over global oil supplies as disruptions continue to affect key energy routes across the Middle East.