Saudis Pivot to Send More Oil Via Hormuz After Pipeline Shut

By Yongchang Chin, Alfred Cang and Salma El Wardany (Bloomberg) —

Saudi Arabia is ramping up prompt sales of crude from outside the Strait of Hormuz following the shutdown of the kingdom’s East-West pipeline, which halted cross-country flows to its Red Sea coast.

Saudi Aramco has sold about 20 million barrels to Asian refiners this week that can be picked up this month and next from just outside Hormuz, according to traders familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named. The buyers included Chinese state-owned and independent processors, and other importers in East Asia, they said.

The global oil market is focused on the fallout from the halt of the pipeline, which was the primary link that helped Saudi Arabia to circumvent the Iran war-induced turmoil in Hormuz. The conduit was shut last week after attacks, and there’s been no official word on when operations will resume. The rising spot sales via the Persian Gulf suggest that Riyadh is now seeking to pivot back toward its traditional route even as risks to shipping persist.

Following the pipeline halt, Aramco has delayed deliveries from its Red Sea port of Yanbu, the conduit’s western terminus, to some European customers and at least one East Asian refiner. The extent of the delays wasn’t immediately clear, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The spot cargoes sold by Aramco are for loading from the Gulf of Oman on a ship-to-ship basis over September to October, the traders said. That means while the crude volumes will still need to traverse Hormuz, buyers will not be responsible for that portion of the voyage given the pick-up location.

Saudi Aramco declined to comment.

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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