Saudi Arabia has not confirmed reports that it cancelled or delayed crude shipments to European refiners following drone strikes on its East-West pipeline, according to Euronews. The pipeline was shut as a precaution after attacks in the Riyadh and Medina regions last week.
Energy pricing agency Argus reported that at least three European refiners had cargoes scheduled for late September cancelled or postponed. Some shipments were reportedly delayed until November, although the report cited unnamed market sources and the scale of the disruption could not be independently established from the supplied material.
The Saudi energy ministry said technical teams were inspecting the pipeline but did not provide a timetable for the resumption of pumping. The route carries crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oilfields to Yanbu on the Red Sea, enabling exports to avoid the Strait of Hormuz before tankers continue toward the Suez Canal.
Existing stocks at export terminals may allow some cargoes to proceed during a shutdown. Euronews reported that the duration of that buffer depends on the quantity stored and the speed at which pipeline deliveries restart. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the interruption would last “measured in days.”
Saudi state-controlled oil company Aramco had not responded to Euronews’ request for comment when the report was published. Saudi and Iraqi authorities said the drones came from Iraq, while the supplied material did not report a confirmed attribution beyond those statements.
The disruption is unfolding amid broader concerns about regional shipping. Euronews reported that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis had taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, while Qatar warned that losing access to the waterway could worsen existing disruption through Hormuz. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also discussed regional shipping security in Cairo.