Satellite imagery reveals Saudi Arabia loaded nearly 10 million barrels of crude oil at its Yanbu and Al Muajjiz terminals on Sept. 27 as the kingdom accelerates shipments from the Red Sea. Visually identified Saudi crude exports averaged nearly 9M BPD over the last seven days, with 12.5M barrels loaded onto nine tankers within a 72 hour window. These volumes follow repairs to the East-West pipeline, which currently operates at about 3.5M BPD, down from the 5M to 5.5M BPD flow recorded immediately before drone strikes disabled the line in mid-September.

The export rebound has pushed Saudi Arabia's September average to 5.2M BPD, up from 2.9M BPD in August, while Iraq's exports have recovered to about 2.5M BPD. In contrast, Iran's exports collapsed to roughly 0.1M BPD in August. The East-West pipeline provides a critical route to bypass the closed Strait of Hormuz; although three pumping stations remain out of service, the restart restores a vital lifeline for global oil supplies amid regional conflict.