Fighting in the Middle East continues, yet energy transportation is showing a different trend from the battlefield: on one hand, Yemen's Houthi forces have launched repeated attacks on Saudi Arabia, and reports have emerged of another tanker being struck in the Strait of Hormuz; on the other hand, a key Saudi oil pipeline that was shut down last month has restored more than 80% of its maximum capacity, and energy giant Shell also stated that Middle East oil flows have recovered to roughly 80% of pre-war levels.

On Tuesday, October 6, local time, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said the airports in Jeddah and Najran were attacked by Houthi forces the previous night, injuring three people. According to CCTV citing a notice from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on the 6th, a tanker was hit by an unidentified flying object in the Strait of Hormuz, and the exact time of the incident has yet to be confirmed.

Also on Tuesday, according to CCTV News, Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said that the East-West oil pipeline's daily throughput has now recovered to 5.8 million barrels. The pipeline connects Saudi Arabia's main eastern oil-producing region to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, has a maximum capacity of about 7 million barrels per day, and serves as an important alternative route for Saudi crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It was temporarily shut down in September after a drone attack.

These signals mean that although Middle East shipping and infrastructure still face attack risks, the region's oil supply chain is gradually being repaired, and at least for now there has not yet been a supply disruption expanding in sync with the escalation of the battlefield.

Houthis Launch Three Rounds of Strikes in One Day; Two Saudi Airports Hit

According to CCTV News, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said on October 6 that on the evening of October 5 local time, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Najran International Airport were attacked by Yemen's Houthi forces, causing three injuries and "limited material damage."

According to CCTV, a Houthi spokesman said in a video statement on the evening of October 5 that the Houthis launched three rounds of strikes against Saudi Arabia that day, including against King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

According to Xinhua News Agency, Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for Yemen's Houthi forces, said in a statement on social media on the 6th that the Houthis that day launched dozens of attacks in Yemen's southern Lahij province against "gathering points of Saudi-backed armed personnel," causing more than 200 casualties on the other side.

Media noted that this round of attacks occurred as Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government forces it supports launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis. Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have recently advanced toward the Red Sea coast and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in an attempt to regain control of this important strategic corridor, while the Houthis have responded by attacking Saudi targets with missiles and drones.

Previously, Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces had advanced toward areas near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The strait connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is an important shipping route for Middle East energy transportation as well as Asia-Europe trade.

Therefore, the Houthis' recent attacks on Saudi airports and infrastructure also mean that Saudi Arabia's western energy transportation system remains exposed to relatively high security risks.

As of Tuesday, East-West Pipeline Throughput Restored to 5.8 Million Barrels per Day

In sharp contrast to the airport attacks, Saudi Arabia's most important alternative crude transportation route is recovering rapidly.

Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said on October 6 while attending an event in Bahrain that as of that morning, the East-West oil pipeline's throughput had reached 5.8 million barrels per day.

According to reports, the Saudi pipeline was temporarily closed after a drone attack on September 10, but was restarted about 5 to 6 days after suffering a "major blow." By the end of last week, Saudi Aramco had raised throughput to nearly 6 million barrels per day.

The East-West oil pipeline connects Saudi Arabia's main eastern oil-producing region with the Red Sea port of Yanbu, with a maximum transmission capacity of about 7 million barrels per day. Based on 5.8 million barrels per day, throughput has now exceeded 80% of maximum capacity.

About 4.5 million barrels per day of crude can be exported through the port of Yanbu.

The strategic value of this pipeline has become even more prominent as risks in the Strait of Hormuz have risen. Saudi Arabia can transport crude produced in the east through the East-West pipeline to the Red Sea and then export it via Yanbu port, thereby reducing dependence on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane.

Media noted that the previous interruption of the East-West pipeline forced Saudi Arabia to redirect part of its oil exports back through the Strait of Hormuz; with the pipeline restored and Yanbu port functioning again, Saudi oil exports are being repaired.

A Tanker Leaving the Strait of Hormuz Was Hit, and Transportation Risks Have Not Faded

However, the restoration of Saudi Arabia's alternative oil transportation route does not mean that oil transportation risks in the Middle East have been resolved.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in a notice on October 6 that it had received a delayed report about an incident in the Strait of Hormuz on the 5th. A tanker that was leaving the strait was hit by an unidentified flying object, and the exact time of the incident has yet to be confirmed. Relevant authorities are currently investigating.

UKMTO did not disclose the tanker's identity, the extent of damage, or the source of the attack, and reminded passing vessels to navigate cautiously and report any suspicious activity promptly.

For the oil market, a single tanker attack does not necessarily mean that transportation through the Strait of Hormuz has been fully interrupted again, but if similar incidents continue to occur, they may further push up shipping insurance costs and prompt shipowners to reduce the number of vessels passing through this corridor.

This is also a key change currently facing the Middle East oil market: crude production and pipeline transportation are recovering, but security risks in maritime transportation remain relatively high.

Shell CEO: Middle East Oil Flows Recover to About 80% of Pre-Iran-War Levels

From the perspective of the entire Middle East region, the recovery in oil transportation is also relatively clear.

Shell CEO Wael Sawan said on October 6 at the Energy Intelligence Forum in London that despite continued regional conflict, Middle East oil flows have now recovered to more than about 80% of pre-conflict levels.

"Despite all of this, we are now close to more than 80% of pre-conflict levels," Sawan said. He believes this shows that Middle Eastern oil-producing countries are still working to fulfill their commitment to supplying energy to the world.

However, he also stressed that although oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have recovered somewhat, they have not yet returned to normal levels. The market's ability to cushion the most severe supply shock is also related to falling Chinese demand and increased production in other regions.

Sawan warned that the longer the conflict lasts, the harder it will be for the market to continue absorbing these disruptions. He said the worst effects of the crisis may have been alleviated for now, but "this state cannot continue indefinitely," and new supply disruptions may still occur.

This also gives the current Middle East oil market a notable feature: battlefield risks have not disappeared, but the supply chain is for now being repaired faster than the conflict is spilling over.

Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline has recovered to 5.8 million barrels per day, providing an important buffer for the global oil market; overall Middle East oil flows have also recovered to about 80% of pre-war levels. At the same time, however, Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure, military operations near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and repeated security incidents involving commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz all show that this recovery is still built on relatively high risks.

For the oil market, what needs attention next is not only "how much crude has returned to the market," but whether that crude can continue to reach buyers safely. At present, supply recovery is offsetting part of the impact of the fighting, but as long as security risks in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait persist, it will be difficult for the Middle East oil market to truly return to normal.