Energy minister says temporary gas pipeline conversion could add 1.2m bpd within eight weeks, with further infrastructure upgrades planned
Saudi Arabia plans to increase its pipeline crude oil export capacity to as much as 10 million barrels per day (bpd) over the next two to three years through infrastructure upgrades and the conversion of an existing gas pipeline, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday.
Speaking at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh, the minister said the kingdom could add up to 1.2 million bpd of oil transport capacity within seven to eight weeks by temporarily repurposing a domestic gas pipeline for crude shipments.
Further investment in pipeline infrastructure could increase additional capacity to as much as 3 million bpd, he said.
The minister said Saudi Aramco had been authorised to use the gas pipeline for crude transportation until May, after which it would need to be cleaned and returned to gas service ahead of peak summer demand.
The proposed expansion also includes upgrades to pumping stations along Saudi Arabia’s existing East-West oil pipeline and other supporting infrastructure.
According to Abdulaziz, the projects could increase the kingdom’s capacity to divert crude shipments through alternative pipeline routes to around 10 million bpd within two to three years.
The East-West pipeline provides an alternative route for transporting crude from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil-producing region to the Red Sea, reducing reliance on shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
The planned upgrades would expand the kingdom’s ability to reroute crude exports during disruptions to maritime shipping.
