DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is planning to increase its pipeline crude oil export capacity to as much as 10 million barrels per day (bpd) by repurposing a domestic gas pipeline and upgrading its existing East-West oil pipeline network, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday.
The kingdom could add up to 1.2 million bpd of export capacity within seven to eight weeks by temporarily converting a gas pipeline to transport crude oil, the minister said at the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh.
With further investment, the additional capacity could reach 3 million bpd, he added.
Prince Abdulaziz said he had authorised Saudi Aramco to use the converted pipeline for oil transportation until May. It would then need to be cleaned and returned to gas service ahead of the summer season.
Over the next two to three years, upgrades to pumping stations along the East-West pipeline and other infrastructure investments could enable Saudi Arabia to raise its capacity to divert crude shipments from its main maritime routes in the Gulf and Red Sea to around 10 million bpd.
The planned expansion would strengthen the kingdom’s ability to redirect crude oil exports through alternative routes and enhance flexibility in managing its oil transportation infrastructure.
By Reuters
