Oil Falls for Third Consecutive Session as Saudi Arabia Moves to Restore East to West Pipeline

According to Bloomberg, republished by Energy Connects on Thursday, September 17, 2026 (26 Shahrivar 1405), Brent crude traded near $106 a barrel after losing 2.7 percent on Wednesday, as Saudi Arabia sought to restore about half the capacity of its damaged East to West pipeline within days, with full operations expected in about six weeks. The pipeline, which carries oil from Saudi Arabia's eastern region to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, was shut down last week following drone attacks. Trading Economics reported that the decline continued into Friday, September 18, 2026 (27 Shahrivar 1405), holding Brent near $102 for a third consecutive session. The Irish Times also reported the same day that oil kept falling as Saudi Arabia worked to repair the pipeline.

In the latest pricing data at 11:29am Tehran time on Friday, Brent crude stood at $102.50 a barrel, down 1.61 percent from the previous day. The Strait of Hormuz, through which most Persian Gulf oil exports pass, remains a flashpoint between Washington and Tehran, and the East to West pipeline has become an important alternative route around the strait.