Saudi Arabia resumes Yanbu oil exports after East-West pipeline restart

Saudi Arabia has resumed oil loading at the Yanbu port after restarting the East-West pipeline, boosting Middle East export expectations while Hormuz shipments remain below pre-war levels. The pipeline was closed on September 11 following drone attacks blamed on Iraqi armed factions, halting crude exports from Yanbu. Operations resumed last Tuesday, with Aramco notifying clients of October loading schedules and roughly 2 million barrels per day loaded since last week. Kepler estimates current pipeline flow at 2.65 million barrels daily, potentially rising to 3-4 million, though full recovery to the pre-attack rate of 5.5 million may take a month. Middle East crude exports now approach 80% of pre-conflict levels.