Saudi Arabia Targets 10m bpd In Pipeline Oil Export
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Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, announced at the 25th World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh that the kingdom plans to scale its pipeline crude oil export capacity to 10 million barrels per day (bpd). The strategic infrastructure expansion aims to mitigate Middle East shipping risks by providing robust land-based alternatives that bypass vulnerable maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. The two-phase infrastructure strategy combines immediate short-term conversions with structural grid expansion: Immediate Capacity Boost (7–8 Weeks): Saudi Aramco will temporarily repurpose a domestic natural gas pipeline for crude transport, adding 1.2 million bpd of export capacity within seven to eight weeks. Further technical modifications could raise this temporary boost to 3 million bpd. The converted line will transport crude until May 2027, after which Aramco will cleanse and revert the line to gas service to meet peak domestic summer power demand.
Saudi Arabia plans to increase its crude oil export capacity through pipelines to as much as 10 million barrels per day (bpd) by temporarily converting a domestic gas pipeline for oil shipments and expanding its existing East-West pipeline network, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday.
The kingdom could add up to 1.2 million bpd of oil export capacity within seven to eight weeks by repurposing the gas pipeline, the minister said at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh. Further investment could increase the additional capacity by as much as 3 million bpd.
The converted pipeline is expected to transport crude oil temporarily until May 2027. Saudi Aramco would then need to clean the line and return it to gas service ahead of the summer season, according to the minister.
East-West Pipeline Upgrades and Strategic Rerouting
Saudi Arabia also plans to upgrade pumping stations and other infrastructure along its East-West pipeline, which transports crude from the kingdom’s eastern oil-producing region to export terminals on the Red Sea. These improvements could raise the network’s capacity to around 10 million bpd over the next two to three years.
The expansion is intended to give Saudi Arabia greater flexibility in moving crude to international markets when shipping through the Persian Gulf becomes difficult. The East-West route allows the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that has faced severe disruptions during the regional conflict.
Infrastructure Resilience and Overseas Storage
Recent attacks on energy infrastructure have underscored the importance of alternative export routes. Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was previously disrupted by an attack, but the kingdom subsequently reported that flows had recovered to 5.8 million bpd.
The planned expansion comes as Gulf producers work to restore and protect energy exports amid continuing geopolitical uncertainty. Higher pipeline capacity could strengthen Saudi Arabia’s ability to maintain crude deliveries, although actual exports would still depend on production levels, terminal capacity and the security of shipping routes.
