Saudi Arabia has restored crude flows through its East-West Pipeline to 5.8 million barrels per day after a wave of drone strikes knocked out three of the line's 11 pump stations earlier this month.

Announcing the restart Tuesday at the Made in the Gulf forum in Manama, Bahrain, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told attendees: "We returned this morning: 5.8 million barrels." He credited Saudi Aramco's energy-sector localization program for the speed of the rebound.

How quickly did Aramco bring the line back?

The minister said operators brought the system back into service within five to six days. Kamikaze drones originating from Iraq struck three pump stations directly on Sept. 10-11. The attacks shut the line for about 11 days and temporarily halted crude loadings at Yanbu on the Red Sea.

A second attack then forced a fresh outage, which Tuesday's restart now resolves. The 5.8 million bpd figure returns throughput to the operating level the line carried before the latest round of strikes.

What role is the Petroline playing now?

Known formally as Petroline, the Saudi East-West Pipeline runs roughly 1,200 kilometres from the Abqaiq processing hub in Eastern Province to the Yanbu export terminal on the Red Sea. Aramco operates the system, which links production and processing facilities in the east with refineries and loading berths on the western coast.

With Strait of Hormuz shipping under pressure, the overland corridor has become a critical alternative for moving Saudi crude offshore. Barrels that would otherwise clear Persian Gulf ports can reach Red Sea tankers without transiting the chokepoint.

How did Aramco lift capacity without widening the pipe?

Prince Abdulaziz said Aramco developed technologies and materials that allow the existing pipe to handle larger volumes without physically upsizing the line or adding new diameter. Trimming operating pressure on the system raised available export capacity to about 7 million barrels per day.

That figure matches the Saudi Energy Ministry's headline capacity announcement from April, when authorities said they had repaired damage from earlier attacks that had cut roughly 700,000 barrels per day of pumping capacity. Engineers effectively restored the lost throughput through process changes rather than new steel.

How are Gulf flows tracking at the regional level?

Saudi crude exports climbed to 6.6 million barrels per day in September, according to Vortexa tanker-tracking data. The gain helped lift Gulf-wide crude flows to 81% of their pre-war level as producers routed more barrels through overland and Red Sea infrastructure.

The minister framed the operational step as part of a wider policy push for energy self-reliance. "Everything related to the entire energy system must be localized in the kingdom, and the door is open to all our brothers in the Gulf Cooperation Council to be partners," he said.

What goes on the watch list?

The 7 million bpd ceiling now sets the near-term upper bound on how much Saudi crude can bypass Hormuz and clear through Yanbu. Aramco has not disclosed whether the three struck pump stations have returned to full service or whether temporary equipment is being used in their place.

• Any follow-on strike on Petroline pump stations between Abqaiq and Yanbu
• Aramco's next scheduled maintenance posting at the Yanbu export terminal
• October Vortexa readings on Saudi crude loadings at Red Sea ports