PNN – According to informed sources, a key Saudi oil pipeline targeted in an attack last week will largely remain out of service for several weeks while repairs are carried out.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; the Associated Press reported that two officials familiar with the matter stated the pipeline would be offline for weeks during the repair process.
The officials, who were briefed on the situation, said that repairing the damage—including to a major pumping station—could take three to five weeks.
One of the officials noted that the pipeline might continue to operate partially while repair teams work. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The East-West Pipeline, which traverses Saudi Arabia, is a key component of the country’s strategy to transport oil exports to the Red Sea and bypass the Strait of Hormuz—a waterway facing shipping disruptions due to the U.S. conflict with Iran.
This 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) pipeline has a maximum daily transport capacity of seven million barrels of oil. A drone attack on the facility on Thursday halted the pipeline’s operations.