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Saudi Aramco President and CEO Amin Nasser told Nikkei Asia that the company can restore any operational disruption within days as threats linked to the Iran war intensify. The executive highlighted Aramco’s proven infrastructure resilience during the September 24 interview in Tokyo. A recent drone attack that closed the East-West Pipeline and halted loadings at Yanbu forced a shift to Gulf terminals, yet deliveries continued uninterrupted. Nasser said the company maintains multiple redirection options to serve customers reliably.
Nasser told the Japanese financial daily that Aramco is studying a fourth and fifth crude export route to supplement its three primary pathways. Those established routes run through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea via the East-West Pipeline and Bab al-Mandeb, and Egypt’s Sumed pipeline to the Mediterranean. Engineering studies and feasibility work for the new routes have begun in consultation with the ministry and partners. The additions would enhance flexibility against localized incidents.
According to the Nikkei Asia interview, the chief executive confirmed Aramco is evaluating higher overseas storage volumes, including in Japan, to address short-term interruptions. Talks with Japanese authorities and partners are advancing alongside the route assessments. The company already holds inventories across Asia, the Mediterranean and Northwestern Europe. These stocks provide immediate supply alternatives when domestic facilities face pressure.
Nasser told Nikkei Asia that the 2019 drone strikes on processing plants demonstrated the firm’s recovery speed, with full operations returning in 11 days. He noted that temporary outages typically last days rather than weeks or months. The East-West Pipeline comprises several parallel segments, reducing the risk of total shutdown and enabling rapid rerouting. Aramco’s contingency framework draws on this layered design to sustain exports.
The executive added in the interview that surplus production capacity allows Aramco to ramp output quickly by reopening throttled wells within days rather than shutting them completely. This approach supports both market responsiveness and supply security amid regional tensions. Customers have experienced no lasting impact from recent events. The planning reflects years of operational experience managing complex global logistics.
International Energy Agency data projects global oil demand will fall by 1.6 million barrels per day in 2026 as the Strait of Hormuz closure and higher fuel prices curb consumption. Supply is meanwhile expected to drop 4.3 million barrels per day on average this year before rebounding in 2027. Nasser stressed that Aramco’s measures aim to counter such volatility and ensure steady flows. The company continues to monitor developments while advancing its infrastructure expansions.
