Saudi Arabia Targets 10M Bpd Pipeline Oil Export Capacity

MONTREAL (Oil Monster): Saudi Arabia plans to expand its ability to move crude oil by pipeline to as much as 10 million barrels per day, reducing its exposure to disruptions along the Strait of Hormuz, Red Sea and other vulnerable maritime routes.

Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom could add up to 1.2 million bpd of crude transport capacity within seven to eight weeks by temporarily converting a domestic natural gas pipeline to carry oil.

Further investment in the East-West Pipeline, pumping stations and related infrastructure could add as much as 3 million bpd of additional capacity and eventually give Saudi Arabia the ability to redirect around 10 million bpd of crude through pipeline-based routes over the next two to three years.

Saudi Arabia Can Add 1.2 Million Bpd Within Weeks

The fastest part of the plan involves temporarily converting an existing natural gas pipeline to transport crude oil.

Prince Abdulaziz said the change could add up to 1.2 million barrels per day of crude transport capacity within seven to eight weeks.

The measure is designed as a short-term response rather than a permanent conversion.

The energy minister said Saudi Aramco could use the pipeline for oil transportation until May 2027, after which the line would need to be cleaned and returned to natural gas service before peak summer demand.

Converted Gas Pipeline Is a Temporary Oil Route

The temporary conversion gives Saudi Arabia a relatively fast way to increase crude-routing flexibility without waiting for construction of an entirely new export pipeline.

Natural gas demand in the kingdom rises during the summer, particularly because of electricity generation and air-conditioning requirements.

That seasonal need explains why the pipeline must return to gas service before the summer period.

The arrangement therefore provides additional oil-export flexibility during the current supply crisis while preserving the pipeline’s longer-term role in Saudi Arabia’s domestic gas system.

East-West Pipeline Remains Central to Saudi Oil Security

The kingdom’s existing East-West Pipeline is one of its most important strategic energy assets.

The system carries crude from eastern Saudi producing areas across the country to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, allowing oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

OilMonster reported that the system can handle approximately 7 million bpd, although not all of that capacity can necessarily be exported because some crude feeds Saudi refineries on the western coast.

ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia Restarts East-West Oil Pipeline

Saudi Arabia Could Add 3 Million Bpd With Further Investment

Beyond the temporary gas-pipeline conversion, Saudi Arabia is evaluating a broader infrastructure expansion.

Prince Abdulaziz said upgrades to pumping stations and other investments could add as much as 3 million bpd to the kingdom’s pipeline transport capacity.

Those investments would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s ability to move crude between producing regions and alternative export terminals when maritime routes become unavailable or too dangerous.

Long-Term Goal Is Around 10 Million Bpd of Diversion Capacity

The broader objective is to create enough land-based infrastructure to redirect around 10 million barrels per day of crude away from the kingdom’s main maritime export routes when required.

Prince Abdulaziz said achieving that level of flexibility could take approximately two to three years.

The target does not mean Saudi Arabia plans to export 10 million bpd through pipelines every day.

Instead, it represents the scale of crude the kingdom wants to be capable of rerouting during a major shipping disruption.

Hormuz Disruption Has Changed Saudi Export Strategy

The plan follows months of disruption in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway historically carried a large share of Saudi crude exports, but tanker attacks and the Iran conflict forced Saudi Aramco to rely more heavily on western export routes.

Saudi Arabia increased flows through the East-West Pipeline and sharply raised crude shipments from Yanbu after the conflict began.

At points during 2026, Yanbu exports approached 4 million bpd as the kingdom attempted to keep barrels moving despite disruption in the Gulf.

ALSO READ: Saudi Aramco Boosts Yanbu Exports Amid Hormuz Disruptions

East-West Pipeline Was Itself Hit by Drone Attacks

Saudi Arabia’s western bypass route has also proved vulnerable.

The East-West Pipeline was shut in September following drone attacks, temporarily disrupting one of the kingdom’s main alternatives to Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia later restarted the pipeline at a reduced rate and worked to restore flows toward roughly 4 million bpd.

The incident highlighted an important limitation of diversification: replacing one vulnerable route with another is not enough unless the wider network also has redundancy and security.

ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Pipeline After Drone Attack

Red Sea Route Also Faces Security Pressure

Yanbu allows Saudi crude to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, but Red Sea shipping has faced its own security problems.

Houthi threats and attacks have increased risks around Saudi infrastructure and the Bab el-Mandeb corridor, forcing some vessels to alter routes or operate with reduced tracking visibility.

OilMonster previously reported that Saudi Red Sea exports increasingly moved through so-called dark voyages as tanker operators attempted to reduce their exposure to attacks.

ALSO READ: Saudi Red Sea Oil Exports Face Rising Houthi Threat

Saudi Arabia Is Building Redundancy Rather Than One Bypass

The emerging strategy is therefore broader than simply increasing capacity on the East-West Pipeline.

Saudi Arabia is attempting to build multiple options for moving crude between producing areas, domestic refineries and export terminals.

The temporary gas-pipeline conversion provides near-term capacity, while longer-term pumping and infrastructure upgrades would create greater redundancy across the system.

That flexibility could allow Saudi Aramco to respond more quickly when a tanker route, port or pipeline becomes unavailable.

Shipping Costs Strengthen the Case for More Pipeline Capacity

The economic case for additional pipeline infrastructure has also strengthened as tanker and insurance costs rise.

OPEC and non-OPEC energy ministers meeting in Riyadh warned that shipping and insurance costs have climbed to more than one-third of the value of some energy cargoes.

Those costs increase inflation and reduce the economic benefit of otherwise available oil supply.

Moving more crude through secure pipeline networks could reduce some reliance on expensive maritime workarounds, although oil would still ultimately need to reach export terminals and international tankers.

Saudi Output Is Already Recovering

Saudi Arabia has also increased crude production as it restores export capacity.

OPEC data showed Saudi production rising by more than 2 million bpd in September to approximately 8.37 million bpd.

The increase helped lift total OPEC+ production while the kingdom adjusted its export routes following disruptions to western pipeline infrastructure.

Further improvements in pipeline and terminal capacity would give Saudi Arabia more flexibility to convert additional production into exportable barrels.

Saudi Arabia and UAE Are Regaining Asian Market Share

The pipeline expansion also has a commercial dimension.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been rebuilding crude exports as Gulf shipping conditions improve and are attempting to regain market share lost during the conflict.

Saudi exports recently moved closer to prewar levels as more crude returned through Hormuz and alternative routes.

A larger pipeline network would give the kingdom additional options for serving Asian buyers even when individual shipping corridors are disrupted.

ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia, UAE Rebuild Crude Exports as Hormuz Recovers

Why 10 Million Bpd Matters for Global Oil Markets

Saudi Arabia remains one of the world’s largest crude exporters and one of the few producers with substantial spare production capacity.

The ability to move a much larger share of that production through multiple land-based corridors could reduce the global oil market’s exposure to a single maritime chokepoint.

It would not eliminate geopolitical risk, because export terminals, pipelines and downstream shipping routes remain vulnerable.

But additional pipeline capacity would increase Saudi Arabia’s ability to keep crude flowing during regional emergencies.

What Happens Next

The first milestone is the temporary conversion of the domestic gas pipeline.

If completed within the seven-to-eight-week timetable described by Prince Abdulaziz, Saudi Arabia could gain up to 1.2 million bpd of additional crude transport capacity before the end of 2026.

The converted line is expected to return to gas service after May 2027.

Saudi Aramco and the government will then continue evaluating pumping-station upgrades and other infrastructure investments needed to reach the longer-term goal of roughly 10 million bpd of crude-routing capacity.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much new crude pipeline capacity could Saudi Arabia add quickly?
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the kingdom could add up to 1.2 million barrels per day within seven to eight weeks by temporarily converting a natural gas pipeline.

Why is Saudi Arabia converting a gas pipeline to carry oil?
The temporary conversion would give Saudi Arabia more crude-routing flexibility while maritime export routes remain exposed to attacks and disruption.

How long will the gas pipeline carry crude?
The minister said it could be used for oil transport until May 2027 before being cleaned and returned to natural gas service ahead of summer demand.

How much additional pipeline capacity could Saudi Arabia eventually add?
Further investment could add as much as 3 million bpd, while the wider long-term objective is the ability to divert around 10 million bpd through alternative routes.

Does the 10 million bpd target mean Saudi Arabia will export 10 million bpd by pipeline every day?
No. The figure refers to potential routing or diversion capacity, giving the kingdom greater flexibility during disruptions to its normal maritime export system.

Explore More on OilMonster

Saudi Arabia Restarts East-West Oil Pipeline

Saudi Arabia Shuts East-West Pipeline After Drone Attack

Saudi Aramco Boosts Yanbu Exports Amid Hormuz Disruptions

Saudi Arabia, UAE Rebuild Crude Exports as Hormuz Recovers

Saudi Red Sea Oil Exports Face Rising Houthi Threat

Sources: Reuters; Saudi Aramco.

Courtesy: www.reuters.com