Saudi Aramco
The world's largest oil producer by output, operating Saudi Arabia's upstream fields, the Abqaiq processing complex, the Ras Tanura export terminal and the East-West pipeline to Yanbu. Under Houthi missile and drone attack since August 2026; restored East-West exports to about half of capacity by September 28, 2026 per Bloomberg sources, and reported by Bloomberg to be preparing a standalone gas unit.
Record verified against Bloomberg via Rigzone and Energy Connects, 2026-09-26 to 2026-09-28; Reuters via WMBD, 2026-09-28. Tracked since 2026-09.
Coverage 22
October Yanbu loading schedule issued; Kpler sees East-West at about 2.65 million b/d
Aramco notified customers of its October Yanbu loading schedule, and Kpler counted 12.5 million barrels loaded onto nine tankers over three days while estimating pipeline throughput at about 2.65 million b/d, below the 3.5 million Bloomberg sources cited a day earlier. Kpler said a full return to about 5.5 million b/d could take another month.
East-West exports resume at about 3.5 million b/d, half of capacity; Kpler puts Mideast crude exports at a war-time high
People with direct knowledge told Bloomberg that Saudi Arabia has started exporting through the repaired East-West pipeline, with flows at about 3.5 million barrels a day against capacity of about 7 million; Aramco and the energy ministry did not respond. Kpler preliminary data put September crude exports from key Middle East producers at 12.8 million b/d, the highest since February, and five people told Reuters Aramco is weighing discounts for crude loaded off Oman to offset record freight.
Houthi drones toward Riyadh intercepted; trackers say Saudi exports are shifting back into the Gulf
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted two Houthi drones launched toward the Riyadh area and two ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushait, per AFP via CBS News. Tanker Trackers attributed part of the rise in crude leaving the Gulf to Saudi Arabia shifting shipments back through the Persian Gulf after attacks on the East-West bypass, per Fortune.
Bloomberg: Aramco hires Evercore on a standalone gas unit that could list above $100 billion
People familiar told Bloomberg that Aramco hired Evercore to advise on creating a standalone gas division that could draw new investment or be listed at a valuation above $100 billion, building on Boston Consulting Group's Project Gamma work; Aramco and Evercore declined to comment. Aramco is separately seeking to sell up to $35 billion of assets, including a stake in its oil export and storage terminals.
Six Houthi ballistic missiles intercepted toward Taif and Yanbu; Greek-run Patriot downs a missile and drone near the port
The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed six ballistic missiles fired toward Taif and Yanbu, and Reuters reported a Greek-operated Patriot battery in the wider Yanbu region shot down a ballistic missile and a drone. Brent settled near $106.50, up about 3.5 percent, with Yanbu tanker loadings not yet resumed.
Tankers load at Yanbu as Aramco bypasses damaged East-West sections
Satellite imagery showed vessels taking on crude at Yanbu, and Industrial Info Resources reported Aramco built bypasses around the damaged sections of the East-West line to get product moving. The SAMREF refinery at Yanbu remains at 50 percent of its 400,000 barrel-a-day capacity until at least October, and Bab al-Mandab vessel traffic is about 30 ships a day against an average of 80.
Restart detail: three of 11 pump stations damaged, 40 percent capacity within days, full rate in six to eight weeks
The East-West line is running at a reduced rate with three of its 11 pumping stations damaged; Aramco targets nearly 4 million b/d with 40 percent of capacity expected within days and a full restart in six to eight weeks, per EnterpriseAM. Saudi crude through Hormuz averaged 2.9 million b/d over six days against 0.7 million in August, and Aramco arranged about 60 million barrels from Ras Tanura for Sohar ship-to-ship transfer.
East-West Pipeline restarts at a low rate; Yanbu loadings to resume
Saudi Arabia restarted the East-West Pipeline at a low pumping rate and could resume Yanbu exports the same day, with one China-bound cargo scheduled, three sources told Reuters; Aramco seeks to return to about 4 million barrels a day, while a security source said full resumption could take weeks. Aramco and the energy ministry did not comment, and Bloomberg's sources described the restart as in its early stages.
Weekend air-raid alerts for Riyadh and the Red Sea hubs including Yanbu
Saudi Arabia issued air-raid alerts for Riyadh, the first for the capital since the height of the war in March and April, and warnings in Red Sea hubs including Yanbu, the terminal the East-West pipeline feeds, per Bloomberg's September 21 oil market wrap. Crude still fell for a fourth session as the market judged the pipeline shutdown less disruptive than first feared, per CNBC.
Aramco tells European refiners they will receive no October crude under term contracts
Aramco informed European refining customers they will be allocated no crude next month under long-term agreements after the East-West pipeline shutdown disrupted Yanbu loadings, per Bloomberg. European refiners, which imported roughly 577,000 barrels a day of OECD-bound Saudi crude earlier this summer, are seeking replacement spot barrels in West Africa, the Mediterranean and the US Gulf Coast.
Half-capacity restart target holds as crude settles lower; more Saudi oil sold for collection outside Hormuz
Bloomberg reported Saudi Arabia is still seeking to return about half of East-West capacity within days and has sold Asian refiners additional oil for collection at points outside the Strait of Hormuz. Brent settled at $104.82 and WTI at $101.91 per CNBC; the operator has still published no damage assessment or restart timeline.
Aramco reroutes exports through ship-to-ship transfers off Sohar
Aramco is sustaining crude deliveries to Asia via ship-to-ship transfers off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman, with shuttle vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz from Gulf terminals so long-haul tankers avoid the strait, per energynews.pro citing loading data attributed to Kpler and Energy Aspects. Delays were announced to certain Asian clients while cancellations are reported to European clients, suggesting Asia-first allocation.
Riyadh seeks to restore half of East-West capacity within days; oil falls on restart signals
Bloomberg reported Saudi Arabia is seeking to return about half of the East-West pipeline's capacity within days by bypassing the damaged section. Brent settled at $105.83 and WTI at $102.43, down 2.7 and 3.2 percent, per CNBC, which noted analysts still expect weeks of repair based on satellite imagery of a damaged pumping station.
Damage imagery published as repair estimates stretch to five or six weeks
Satellite imagery showed the extent of damage along the East-West crude pipeline, per CNBC, and industry sources told CNN full repairs could take five to six weeks with partial operations possibly sooner. Bloomberg reported Asian refiners seeking updates as cargoes sit in limbo at Yanbu.
US energy secretary says East-West pipeline expected to resume soon
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the East-West pipeline is expected to resume operations soon, with more clarity on timing as technical teams complete damage assessments, per Anadolu Agency. CNN reported analysts expect partial flows to resume while repairs proceed; Aramco and the Saudi energy ministry have published no assessment or timeline.
Iraq confirms Maysan launch point as Houthi advances threaten the Red Sea route
Iraq's prime minister ordered a probe of the Maysan operations command, dismissed its commander and closed the Shalamcheh border crossing after confirming the drones used in the East-West line attack launched from Iraqi territory; no group has claimed the attack. Houthi forces seized Yemen's Red Sea coast and Mayun island in the Bab al-Mandeb strait and declared Red Sea shipping safe except for Saudi vessels.
East-West pipeline shut after attacks on pump stations
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy shut the roughly 1,200 km East-West crude pipeline from the Abqaiq area to Yanbu as a precaution after multiple Thursday attacks in the Riyadh and Madinah regions injured several people, with satellite imagery Friday showing extensive fire damage at one pumping station. The line, with pumping capacity near 7 million b/d, is the kingdom's only large-volume export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz; attribution is unconfirmed.
August output reported to OPEC at 6.238 million b/d, the lowest since 1990
Saudi Arabia's direct communication to OPEC showed August production down about 1.9 million b/d to 6.238 million b/d, with exports near 3.2 million b/d and market supply running almost 900,000 b/d above production on inventory draw. Brent rose 7.5 percent to $108.75, its highest since May 19.
Damage assessment continues; thermal anomalies persist at the Jazan complex
The Saudi energy ministry said specialized field teams were containing fires, securing sites and assessing damage from the September 8 barrage, without naming the halted facilities. NASA FIRMS satellite data showed persistent thermal anomalies at the Jazan refinery and bulk plant, and the Saudi-led coalition command said it would respond to the sources of the threat.
TWZSaudi Ministry of Energy (via TWZ)
Multi-site missile and drone barrage halts operations at Saudi energy facilities
The Houthis announced a broad offensive, claiming ballistic-missile and drone strikes on Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran and Jazan and an air base at Khamis Mushait. The Saudi energy ministry confirmed fires and halted operations at some facilities without naming them; the Saudi-led coalition said 73 people were wounded, and Brent touched $98.
Second attack on Jazan in under a week
The Houthis said they fired two drones at the Jazan refinery, the second claimed strike on the facility in less than a week. No supply loss was reported.
Houthi drone strike hits the Jazan refinery; fire extinguished
Yemen's Houthis attacked Saudi Aramco's 400,000 b/d Jazan refinery with a drone. The Saudi energy ministry said a fire broke out and was extinguished with no injuries.
Beacon coverage 21
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
- FactNews item · Saudi East-West line back to about 3.5 million barrels a day, half its capacity, as Gulf crude exports hit a war-time high
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Saturday, September 26, 2026
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Friday, September 25, 2026
- FactNews item · The workaround is now the target: six Houthi ballistic missiles intercepted over Taif and Yanbu, the port Aramco needs while Hormuz stays contested
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
- FactNews item · The Hormuz bypass is pumping again, slowly: Aramco restarts the East-West line nine days after the strikes, and crude has already priced the full four million barrels
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Saturday, September 19, 2026
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Thursday, September 17, 2026
- FactNews item · The bypass runs back through the strait: Aramco shuttles crude across Hormuz for transfer off Sohar as Riyadh targets half the pipeline within days
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
- FactNews item · Both exits narrow at once: Salalah talks collapse as damage imagery puts the East-West repair in the weeks column
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Monday, September 14, 2026
- FactNews item · Houthi control of Yemen's Red Sea coast closes in on Saudi Arabia's last working export route
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Saturday, September 12, 2026
- FactNews item · Saudi Arabia shuts the East-West pipeline, its only route around Hormuz, after strikes on pump stations
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Friday, September 11, 2026
- FactNews item · Saudi output drops to 6.24 million b/d, a 36-year low, and the war premium becomes a measured supply loss
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Thursday, September 10, 2026
- FactBrief · Beacon brief: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
- FactNews item · Houthi missiles and drones halt operations at Saudi energy facilities; Brent touches $98