The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Energy on April 12 confirmed that it had fully restored oil pumping capacity through the East-West pipeline, reaching about 7 million barrels/day - equivalent to the maximum capacity before the attacks occurred.
The announcement was made just days after Riyadh announced its assessment of damage to the energy industry, amid escalating tensions with Iran. Although not specifically naming the perpetrators of the attacks, Saudi Arabia said it intercepted many missiles and drones in recent weeks.
The East-West route plays a particularly important role as Saudi Arabia's main oil export route in the context of the transport route through the Strait of Hormuz being disrupted.
Previously, the attacks had reduced the pumping capacity through this pipeline by about 700,000 barrels/day, while Saudi Arabia's total oil production capacity decreased by about 600,000 barrels/day.
The attacks also disrupted operations at many oil and gas facilities, refineries and power plants in Riyadh, the eastern region and the industrial city of Yanbu.
According to the Ministry of Energy, Saudi Arabia has quickly restored disrupted production from the Manifa mine, which previously lost about 300,000 barrels/day. In parallel, repairs at the Khurais facility - which suffered similar damage - are still being accelerated to soon regain maximum capacity.
Officials emphasized that rapid recovery will help increase the reliability of supply, ensuring that oil flows are not interrupted for both domestic and international markets.
Notably, the East-West pipeline is considered Saudi Arabia's "lifebuoy" when strategic sea routes face risks. The complete restoration of capacity is not only technically significant, but also considered a positive signal for the oil market. During the disruption, concerns about supply shortages contributed to pushing oil prices up sharply.
Now, with a capacity of 7 million barrels/day restored, supply pressure has been partially relieved. Traders assess this as an important factor helping the market "cool down" in the short term, especially when supply from the Middle East plays a key role.
However, analysts also noted that this impact may only be temporary if geopolitical risks continue to increase. Attacks targeting energy infrastructure show the vulnerability of the oil supply chain in the context of regional conflict.
