Saudi Arabia Plans 1.2 Million BPD Oil Pipeline Expansion to Bypass Hormuz

Saudi Arabia plans to boost its crude export pipeline capacity by 1.2 million barrels per day within seven to eight weeks by converting an existing gas line, aiming for 10 million bpd over two to three years. The plan follows geopolitical conflicts and security incidents disrupting marine shipments in the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh already reroutes roughly 4 million bpd through its 7 million bpd East-West pipeline to Yanbu after the pipeline recently resumed operations following a two-week shutdown from drone strikes. However, Yanbu's loading terminal capacity of about 4.5 million bpd presents logistical bottlenecks.