East-West Crude Oil Pipeline Expansion

planned

Saudi Arabia is considering expanding the capacity of its East-West crude oil pipeline to the Red Sea coast by up to 2 million barrels per day. The pipeline links oil fields in eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu and currently has a capacity of 7 million barrels per day. The expansion aims to allow Saudi Arabia and other Gulf producers to increase exports via the Red Sea, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, and to strengthen export capabilities during periods of instability in the Gulf. Preliminary discussions are ongoing with neighboring countries, and the expansion could involve upgrades to the existing pipeline or construction of a new parallel pipeline for refined petroleum products. The project is expected to take years and require billions of dollars in investment.