CNN: Saudi East-West oil pipeline hit in drone attack

A key oil pipeline system in Saudi Arabia was struck by projectiles on Thursday, September 10, according to two US officials familiar with the matter, cited by CNN.

Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry said Friday, September 11, that the pipeline had been attacked and “was shut down as a precautionary measure.”

An initial assessment found that pumping stations located alongside the pipeline were hit, one of the US officials said. A satellite image taken Friday appeared to show extensive fire damage at one pumping station, while an image of another station taken Thursday showed a small fire producing plumes of thick, black smoke.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes or whether sections of the pipeline itself had been damaged. One of the US officials, however, said the attack was carried out by drones originating from Iraq.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry later condemned “the attack on the East-West Pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions by several drones coming from Iraq, which resulted in injuries and some damage that is currently being addressed.”

“The Kingdom clarifies that, based on a request from the Iraqi Prime Minister to give the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and neighboring countries, the Kingdom has chosen not to respond at this stage, in support of the Iraqi government’s efforts,” the ministry said.

The attack highlights growing threats to Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and its ability to export crude as the Iran war continues. The strikes came just days after an Iranian-aligned militia seized a strategic Red Sea port city in Yemen, potentially creating further risks for energy shipping in the region.

The Energy Ministry said the pipeline “was subjected to multiple attacks” on Thursday that “resulted in a number of injuries.” It added that teams were “taking the necessary measures to secure the pipeline and assess its safety.”

The Iraqi government also condemned the attacks on Friday, saying it had ordered an urgent investigation to identify those responsible and would not allow its territory or airspace to be used for attacks.

“The Iraqi government condemns the attacks that targeted the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and affirms its rejection of any attack that undermines the Kingdom’s security and stability or harms the deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two countries,” the government said in a statement carried by the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA).

Oil prices surged above $100 a barrel this week amid sharp swings driven by developments in the Middle East.

The East-West Pipeline has become increasingly important to Saudi Arabia since the outbreak of the US-Iran war. With Iran effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz, the kingdom has rerouted about 5 million barrels of oil a day that would otherwise have been destined for tankers waiting in the Persian Gulf. Instead, the crude has been transported through the East-West Pipeline to the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

That alternative export route could also be at risk after Houthi fighters declared they would target Saudi ships attempting to pass through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea.

US officials and experts said repairing pumping stations could be considerably less burdensome than repairing major damage to the pipeline itself.

The attack also comes as Saudi Arabia reported to OPEC that its crude oil production plunged last month to its lowest level since 1990.

Earlier, Clash Report said satellite imagery showed a powerful smoke plume stretching for about 100 kilometres, along with persistent thermal anomalies along the pipeline southeast of Medina.

By Tamilla Hasanova