Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy announced Sunday that it has fully restored pumping capacity on the East-West Crude Oil Pipeline to approximately seven million barrels per day. The pipeline, which spans 1,200 kilometers from the Abqaiq oil processing facility in the Eastern Province to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, serves as the kingdom's primary crude export route amid the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The restoration follows attacks last week that damaged one of the pipeline's 11 pumping stations, reducing throughput by about 700,000 barrels per day. Saudi state news agency SPA reported Thursday that the strikes also cut overall oil production capacity by around 600,000 barrels per day, with hits on the Manifa oilfield slashing output by 300,000 barrels per day and the Khurais facility by another 300,000 barrels per day. The ministry stated that Manifa volumes have been recovered, while work continues at Khurais.

The attacks, which Saudi Arabia did not attribute to a specific actor but linked to the ongoing Iran conflict, also disrupted operations at major refineries, including SATORP in Jubail, Ras Tanura, SAMREF in Yanbu, and the Riyadh refinery, as well as gas processing facilities. Reuters reported the pipeline strike occurred hours after a ceasefire announcement in the conflict. Saudi Arabia has intercepted numerous Iranian missiles and drones in recent weeks.

Commissioned in 1982 during the Iran-Iraq War to bypass Hormuz vulnerabilities, the pipeline, operated by Saudi Aramco, reached its expanded capacity of seven million barrels per day in 2019 after converting parallel natural gas liquids lines. Of this, roughly five million barrels per day support exports from Yanbu, which has a nominal capacity of 4.5 million barrels per day, while the rest goes to domestic refineries. Shipments from Red Sea terminals have quadrupled since late February as the kingdom rerouted flows due to Iran's effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

The swift recovery underscores the resilience of Saudi energy infrastructure. The ministry noted that the efforts enhance "the reliability and continuity of supplies to local and global markets." Exports from Yanbu averaged near capacity in recent weeks, supporting global oil flows despite regional tensions.

This marks the second major test for the pipeline in recent years, following a 2019 Houthi drone attack that temporarily halted operations. With Hormuz closed since late February, the East-West line has become critical, carrying oil that would otherwise be trapped in the Gulf.