The Yemen-based Houthis claimed they targeted Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais oil field using ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation for Saudi airstrikes. The hit on Khurais, one of the world's largest onshore crude processing hubs handling 1.5 million barrels per day, is the first since September 2019. The affected East-West pipeline is Saudi Arabia's only export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and had only partially restarted on Sept. 22 after separate attacks earlier in the month.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Saudi East-West Pipeline Halted after First Khurais Strike Since 2019
Commodities16 days ago
Pumping was suspended on a critical Saudi Arabian oil conduit on Oct. 5, according to an energy sector source cited by AFP, following an attack on Pumping Station No. 2 east of Riyadh. Aramco's CEO stated that upstream facilities remain intact, and other market sources reported that flows through the conduit have not been interrupted. Sentinel-3 satellite imagery showed a smoke plume extending 50 km from the station, while NASA FIRMS detected fire radiative power up to 88 megawatts and temperatures reaching 367 Kelvin.
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