East–West Pipeline Attack Spurs Shift in Saudi Oil Exports
Following an attack on Saudi Arabia’s East–West pipeline on September 10, 2026, pumping through the pipeline halted days later, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained disrupted. With this route to the Red Sea out of service, attention turned to Gulf ports and the maritime routes Saudi Arabia was using to continue exporting oil.
Shipping data cited by specialist analytics firms show an increase in Saudi crude loadings from Gulf ports, coinciding with the suspension of loadings at Yanbu port on the Red Sea following the pipeline disruption. This reflects a shift in export routes, with greater reliance on eastern ports to maintain oil shipments.
Tanker Congestion
On September 21, Reuters reported two separate estimates of Saudi oil flows following the East–West pipeline shutdown. According to estimates by JPMorgan, average flows through the Strait of Hormuz reached approximately 2.9 million barrels per day during the preceding six days, compared with around 700,000 barrels per day in August.
Separately, Saudi crude loadings from ports along the Gulf averaged approximately 3.7 million barrels per day from September 12, up from around 2.9 million barrels per day earlier in the month, according to Vortexa data cited by Reuters.
Reuters quoted trade sources as saying that Saudi Arabia had sold approximately 60 million barrels of oil from Ras Tanura, with the cargoes scheduled to be transferred between vessels at Oman’s Sohar port during September and October.
Misbar Tracks Saudi Tankers Moving Oil Covertly Through Hormuz
In a separate analysis based on Kpler data, the company forecast that approximately 2.5 million barrels per day would be transferred through ship-to-ship operations in the Gulf of Oman in September, compared with 1.4 million barrels per day in August. This estimate covers the region as a whole and does not apply exclusively to Saudi shipments.
These analyses were reflected in activity on the ground, with notable tanker movements across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Satellite imagery dated September 20 shows seven oil tankers near Ras Tanura port, Saudi Arabia’s main crude export hub on the Persian Gulf, particularly following the Iranian war crisis.
Misbar identified seven oil tankers near Ras Tanura port in September.
TankersTrackers data estimated that approximately 14 million barrels of Saudi crude were loaded onto seven very large crude carriers (VLCCs) at Ras Tanura on the Persian Gulf on September 20.
The presence of these giant tankers continued over the following days. Satellite imagery shows different tankers at the same location near Ras Tanura, providing a strong indication of increased shipping and loading activity in the area.
The giant tankers remained in the area over several days.
Satellite imagery and MarineTraffic’s Risk and Compliance data indicate that most of these vessels belong to the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri). The tankers carried out oil loading and transfer operations between Ras Tanura and ship-to-ship (STS) transfer locations in the Gulf of Oman while their AIS signals were interrupted and their transponders switched off.
Among these vessels, the SHINE group stood out. It comprises 10 tankers that changed their names and flags from Saudi Arabia to Liberia in early September. According to vessel records reviewed by the Misbar team at Alaraby TV, these tankers appeared near loading facilities or conducted potential ship-to-ship transfers while their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals were switched off.
This investigation tracks the movements of tankers linked to Saudi National Shipping Company (Bahri) between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It examines whether some tankers appeared near loading facilities or conducted potential ship-to-ship transfers while their AIS signals were switched off.
Original Article: After East–West Pipeline Attack, Misbar Tracks Saudi Tankers Moving Oil Covertly Through Hormuz — Misbar