Saudi Aramco has begun engineering work on expanding the East-West pipeline that carries crude from the kingdom's eastern oil fields to Red Sea export terminals, in a direct response to the Hormuz disruption that has reshaped global energy flows since February . CEO Amin Nasser told analysts on 3 November 2026 that "with regard to the expansion to our East-West pipeline and the additional networks that are building, this work has already started," confirming that the project has moved from planning to active development .
The pipeline is the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia's strategy to reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supplies but has been effectively blockaded since the US-Israeli war with Iran began . The East-West pipeline, which Nasser has previously described as a "critical lifeline," has the capacity to carry up to 7 million barrels per day to Yanbu on the Red Sea coast . Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said last month that the kingdom is looking to expand its pipeline export capacity to as much as 10 million barrels per day by repurposing a domestic gas pipeline and investing in the existing East-West network .
The expansion is being driven by the scale of the disruption. Nasser said more than 130 attacks on tankers have been reported during the Iran conflict, mainly against very large crude carriers, causing freight rates to surge more than 15 times from a year ago . The pipeline itself has been attacked several times during the war, underscoring the security risks that even the bypass infrastructure faces . Aramco is also exploring additional export routes beyond its three current options—the Gulf via Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Suez Canal—and studying additional storage capacity abroad .
The financial results provide context for Aramco's ability to fund the expansion. The company reported a 34.6% increase in third-quarter net profit to $36.25 billion, driven by higher oil prices and production . The profit surge gives Aramco the balance-sheet capacity to invest in pipeline infrastructure without external financing, and it reflects the broader earnings environment that Gulf producers have enjoyed during the disruption, even as the security situation has imposed costs and risks.
For India, the Aramco pipeline expansion has direct implications for crude supply security. India sources a significant share of its crude from Saudi Arabia, and the Red Sea route through Yanbu offers an alternative to Hormuz transits that avoids the chokepoint where attacks are most concentrated. If the pipeline expansion succeeds and Red Sea loadings increase, Indian refiners could have greater access to Saudi crude that bypasses the most dangerous segment of the Gulf. This complements the procurement shifts that Indian refiners have already undertaken, from delivered-basis crude purchases to reduced term contract exposure, by adding a supply route that is less exposed to the Hormuz threat.
The timing of the expansion also reflects a broader reorientation of Gulf infrastructure investment. The crisis has forced producers to reassess the vulnerability of their export routes and to invest in redundancy, whether through pipelines, alternative ports, or overseas storage. Aramco's decision to proceed with the East-West expansion is a signal that the company expects the Hormuz disruption to persist long enough to justify the capital commitment, and that it sees the Red Sea route as a durable component of its export strategy rather than a temporary workaround.
Looking ahead, the key milestones will be the completion of the engineering work, the final investment decision, and the commissioning of additional pipeline capacity. Aramco has not disclosed the scale of the expansion, the timeline, or the cost, and Nasser said the company will not disclose details on the new export routes until final investment decisions are made . For now, the start of engineering work confirms that the project is moving forward, and it signals that the Gulf's largest oil producer is treating the Hormuz crisis as a structural challenge requiring structural adaptation.