Saudi Pipeline Shutdown Persists Amid Conflicting Repair Estimates

Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline, a critical artery for global oil supply, remains shut down following attacks last week, with conflicting estimates emerging over how long repairs will take. The closure has tightened an already strained energy market, pushing Brent crude prices above $106 per barrel. The 1,200-kilometer pipeline, which normally carries 4 to 5 million barrels per day from Saudi Arabia's eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, was shut on September 11 as a precaution after drone strikes caused damage and injuries in the Riyadh and Medina regions. The Saudi Ministry of Energy confirmed the shutdown but did not provide a timeline for restarting operations. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright offered an optimistic assessment on September 15, telling CNBC the pipeline would resume pumping "in days, not weeks" and calling it a "brief and temporary interruption." However, sources familiar with the matter have provided more cautious estimates. Two regional officials briefed on the damage told the Associated Press that repairs could take three to five weeks, with one suggesting partial flows might resume sooner.