Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline has reached its maximum technical capacity of 7 million barrels per day as the kingdom works to bypass the effectively closed Strait of Hormuz.
Sources familiar with the matter confirmed Saturday that the pipeline is now operating at its full limit, a milestone in a decades-long contingency plan.
This shift follows the near-total halt of shipping through the Persian Gulf’s primary export route.
The redirection has turned the Red Sea port of Yanbu into a global energy lifeline.
Crude exports through the facility have reached approximately 5 million barrels per day, supplemented by nearly 900,000 barrels of refined products.
Of the total 7 million barrels moving through the 1,000-kilometer line, roughly 2 million are being diverted to domestic refineries within the kingdom.
The pipeline spans the Arabian Peninsula, linking eastern oil fields directly to the western coast.
The strategic move was activated within hours of initial military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iranian targets.
Historically, about 15 million barrels of crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily before the current conflict began.
While the Yanbu route cannot fully replace that volume, its operation has prevented oil prices from reaching the extreme highs seen in previous supply shocks.
However, new risks are emerging on the western route.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels recently announced their entry into the conflict, raising concerns that the Red Sea could become a secondary front.
While no specific threats have been made against tankers at Yanbu, the Houthis have a history of using drones and missiles against maritime traffic in the Bab El-Mandeb strait.
The East-West pipeline was originally conceived following the "Tanker War" of the 1980s.
Its current utilization represents the most significant test of Saudi Arabia's reputation as the world's primary supplier of last resort.
Market analysts remain focused on whether the Red Sea corridor can remain secure as geopolitical tensions continue to escalate across the Middle East.