Satellite imagery shows repairs and bypass construction of the Saudi Arabia East-West pipeline days after damage following a drone attack, near Al Dhekra, Al Madinah Province, Saudi Arabia, September 22, 2026. Vantor/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT. DO NOT OBSCURE LOGO.
By Salma El Wardany and Grant Smith
Oct 12, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Saudi Arabia is looking at ways to expand its oil pipeline capacity to destinations outside the Persian Gulf to 10 million barrels a day within two to three years, said Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman.
As the kingdom fends off waves of Houthi attacks on energy and aviation infrastructure, it is seeking to increase its resilience. The plans include improvements to pumping stations on the East-West pipeline — the key conduit for exports since the start of the US-Iran war — and repurposing a gas pipeline to transport crude, Prince Abdulaziz said.
The East-West pipeline was carrying 5.8 million barrels a day as of Oct. 6, the minister said last week, following the resumption of operations after a September drone attack. Its wartime role been critical both for crude exports from the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, and to supply refineries on the kingdom’s west coast.
“We may end up with 10 million barrels within the next two to three years,” he told the WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh on Monday. “We are improving the pump stations of the East-West pipeline.”
The repurposed gas pipeline could carry about 1.2 million barrels a day of crude within seven to eight weeks, with further investment potentially raising that volume to 3 million, the minister said.
The initial arrangement would be temporary. Prince Abdulaziz said he had told Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser that the pipeline could transport oil until May, after which it would need to be cleaned and returned to service for domestic gas supplies during the summer.
The kingdom is working with Aramco on dual-use capability, installing pumping stations and compressors so the pipeline can carry oil or gas depending on circumstances, he said.
The minister also highlighted the value of the East-West pipeline during the crisis, saying its use had more than recovered its cost. The route connects Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil-producing region with the Red Sea, providing an alternative to shipping crude through the Strait of Hormuz.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
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