Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, with a 7 million barrel-per-day capacity, has been central to oil market dynamics amid regional conflicts disrupting the Strait of Hormuz. Drone attacks in mid-September 2026 damaged pumping stations, forcing an 11-day shutdown that shifted exports to Gulf terminals and contributed to Brent crude briefly exceeding $130 before easing below $100 on restart signals. Partial flows resumed around September 22 at roughly 40% capacity, rising above 80% by early October as Aramco repaired infrastructure and resumed Yanbu loadings. A reported fresh strike over the October 3-4 weekend briefly pressured prices higher, though flows continued normally per industry sources, highlighting ongoing security risks. Key upcoming catalysts include full capacity restoration timelines and any further geopolitical incidents affecting Red Sea or Hormuz routes, which directly influence trader-implied probabilities around supply recovery.