Overview
- Abu Dhabi’s crown prince on Friday ordered state oil firm ADNOC to speed work on the West–East pipeline, now slated to start operating in 2027.
- The new line to Fujairah is planned to roughly double crude export capacity outside the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the corridor toward about 4 million barrels a day with the existing Habshan–Fujairah link.
- The push follows months of disruption as the strait remains effectively closed after late‑February fighting, and attacks near Fujairah have briefly halted loadings and kept UAE output below pre‑war levels.
- Abu Dhabi’s exit from OPEC this month frees it from quotas, and officials are sticking to a national production capacity goal near 5 million barrels a day by 2027.
- The bypass system covers crude only, so gasoline and diesel lack overland routes, leaving buyers exposed to price spikes and rationing reported in some countries.