Built in the 1980s to prevent exactly this scenario, Saudi Arabia's main oil pipeline was hit by a drone hours after a ceasefire, cutting 700,000 barrels per day and causing oil prices to rise back to $100.

Built in the 1980s to prevent exactly this scenario, Saudi Arabia’s main oil pipeline was hit by a drone hours after a ceasefire, cutting 700,000 barrels per day and causing oil prices to rise back to $100.

Written by Douglas Avila

Published on 13/04/2026 at 18:32

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Drone hit East-West Pipeline pumping station on April 8, 2026, hours after ceasefire between the US and Iran, cutting 700,000 barrels per day from a pipeline with a capacity of 7 million

The pipeline was built in the 1980s, during the Iran-Iraq War, so Saudi Arabia could export oil without relying on the Strait of Hormuz. Four decades later, a single drone proved that the alternative route is also vulnerable. On April 8, 2026, around 1 PM local time, an attack hit a pumping station of the East-West Pipeline, interrupting the flow of 700,000 barrels of oil per day — exactly the scenario the infrastructure was designed to avoid.

As reported by O Cafezinho, the attack occurred hours after a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The Saudi state agency confirmed the cut in flow but did not officially disclose those responsible.

Oil tanker navigating the Strait of Hormuz

Hormuz closed, pipeline hit: oil trapped on both sides

The East-West Pipeline has the capacity to transport up to 7 million barrels per day, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz — responsible for 20% of all global oil, less than 40 km wide — remained with severely reduced traffic, close to a shutdown, even after the ceasefire.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Oil returns to $100: what the market did in the following hours

On April 10, 2026, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures contracts for May reached $100.40 per barrel before retreating to $97.89. Brent for June hit $97.59, a 1.7% increase. As analyzed by Exame, analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted that buyers would turn to strategic reserves and alternative sources for at least another month.

Beciri, quoted by CNBC, summarized the situation: “There is no known or established way to cross the Strait of Hormuz. There isn’t even a clear way to contact the Iranians to find out how to do it.”

Trading screen showing oil price above 100 dollars

What is still unknown — and why the situation may worsen

Saudi Arabia has not officially disclosed those responsible for the attack. Journalistic sources suggest involvement of armed groups or state actors linked to Iran, but there is no official confirmation. The extent of the damage to the infrastructure and the timeline for restoration also remain unknown — Saudi statements have been vague so far.

If the flow in Hormuz does not normalize and the East-West takes time to be repaired, the impacts could quickly escalate. Importing economies like China, Japan, and Europe may face supply shortages. However, if repairs are swift and Hormuz partially reopens, prices could fall below $90 — a scenario that no analyst dismisses, but few consider likely in the short term.

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Built in the 1980s to prevent exactly this scenario, Saudi Arabia’s main oil pipeline was hit by a drone hours after a ceasefire, cutting 700,000 barrels per day and causing oil prices to rise back to $100.

Drone hit East-West Pipeline pumping station on April 8, 2026, hours after ceasefire between the US and Iran, cutting 700,000 barrels per day from a pipeline with a capacity of 7 million

Hormuz closed, pipeline hit: oil trapped on both sides

Oil returns to $100: what the market did in the following hours

What is still unknown — and why the situation may worsen

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Built in the 1980s to prevent exactly this scenario, Saudi Arabia’s main oil pipeline was hit by a drone hours after a ceasefire, cutting 700,000 barrels per day and causing oil prices to rise back to $100.

Drone hit East-West Pipeline pumping station on April 8, 2026, hours after ceasefire between the US and Iran, cutting 700,000 barrels per day from a pipeline with a capacity of 7 million

Hormuz closed, pipeline hit: oil trapped on both sides

Oil returns to $100: what the market did in the following hours

What is still unknown — and why the situation may worsen

A giant half-ton ring fell in Kenya from space, and more than a year later, scientists still do not know where it came from.

Seen from space, an image taken by an astronaut shows an unlikely oasis in the Saudi Arabian desert, protected by a terrain that slows the advance of sand, surrounded by green circles, remnants of an extinct lake and nearly 10,000 years of preserved history.

In Botswana, a salt flat of up to 16,000 km² that was once an African megalake spends months as an absolute white desert, but during the rainy season it transforms into a shallow sea that reappears from nowhere and can be seen from space in the middle of southern Africa.

Bavarian archaeologists unearthed a medieval skeleton that had an articulated iron hand in place of its left arm, and the discovery reveals that doctors were already creating sophisticated prosthetics over 500 years ago.

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