economy
March 12, 2026
The two oil pipelines helping Saudi Arabia and UAE bypass the Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and the UAE's Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline are thought to be able to help partially offset the Strait of Hormuz blockage.
TL;DR
- Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline (Petroline) and the UAE's Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) are crucial alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.
- Petroline connects Saudi Arabia's eastern coast to Yanbu on the Red Sea with a capacity of 7 million barrels per day.
- ADCOP spans from Habshan to Fujairah in the UAE, handling 1.5 million barrels per day with a total capacity near 1.8 million.
- Both pipelines bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked following strikes against Iran.
- Iran has retaliated by targeting ships in the Strait, leading to volatility in oil prices.
- While these pipelines can partially offset the nearly 20 million barrels per day typically transiting Hormuz, infrastructure damage remains a risk.
- The UAE's Ruwais refinery may be affected, potentially impacting product exports that still rely on Hormuz transit routes.
- Increased utilization of these bypass pipelines is already underway, but spare capacity in ADCOP is limited.
Continue reading the original article