Operations on Saudi Arabia’s East-West crude oil pipeline are expected to resume within days. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the pipeline would be used again "very soon" and that the disruption would be brief.
The pipeline, one of the country’s key oil routes, was damaged late last week in a drone attack believed to have been launched from Iraq. The pipeline was taken out of service after the damage.
Wright said the attack was carried out by Iran-backed proxy groups. He made the statement while discussing the damage to the pipeline.
As the U.S.-Iran confrontation continues around the Strait of Hormuz, Riyadh had been using the East-West pipeline to divert some of its oil exports toward the Red Sea. While the pipeline is out of service, Saudi Arabia is rerouting some oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz with support from the U.S. military.
Assessments that oil supplies could be disrupted have increased pressure on global energy flows, while U.S. crude prices rose more than 5% over the week. Prices climbed above $105 a barrel.