Shipping operations at Saudi Arabia's eastern and western terminals have ramped up since the restoration of a key crude pipeline. Weekly loading volumes for crude oil averaged approximately 6.4 million barrels per day last week, surpassing the daily average of 5.4 million barrels recorded in 2025. The increase was supported by the loading of multiple very large crude carriers from Red Sea and Persian Gulf ports as the kingdom accelerated shipments to recover lost volumes.

The rebound follows repairs to the East-West pipeline after drone strikes on Sept. 10 disabled the route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz to reach the port of Yanbu. Saudi Aramco is now operating the line at a throughput of 3.5 million barrels per day, compared to 5.0 million to 5.5 million barrels per day before the attacks, with three pumping stations still out of service. While Saudi September exports rose to 5.2 million barrels per day from 2.9 million in August, Iranian exports dropped to roughly 0.1 million barrels per day in August.