As tensions reshape global energy routes, attention has shifted to whether land and subsea pipelines can offset disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most critical oil chokepoint. Three pipelines stand out as potential alternatives, but the numbers and risks suggest they are, at best, partial solutions.
Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline (Petroline)
Operated by Saudi Aramco, the East-West Pipeline, also known as Petroline, is the most significant alternative route currently available.
Stretching 1,200 km from Abqaiq on the Gulf coast to Yanbu on the Red Sea, it bypasses Hormuz entirely. With a capacity of up to 7 million barrels per day (bpd), it is the only pipeline with scale comparable to a meaningful share of Hormuz flows. However, even this is not enough. According to the company, only about 5 million bpd is available for exports, with the rest feeding domestic refineries.
Recent data highlights how critical it has become: flows surged from 770,000 bpd in January–February to 2.9 million bpd this week, according to Kpler.
But the route is not risk-free. Tankers exiting Yanbu must still pass through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a narrow chokepoint vulnerable to attacks by Yemen's Houthis.
A Houthi leader told Reuters: “We stand fully militarily ready with all options… we are monitoring developments and will know when is the suitable time to move.”
UAE's Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP)
The UAE's ADCOP, also known as the Habshan–Fujairah pipeline, offers another bypass, routing crude directly to the Gulf of Oman.
Running 380 km from inland Abu Dhabi to Fujairah, it avoids Hormuz completely. Its capacity stands at 1.5 million bpd.
Exports from Fujairah have already picked up, averaging 1.62 million bpd in March, up from 1.17 million bpd in February, Kpler analyst Johannes Rauball told Reuters.
Still, its scale is limited, and like all fixed infrastructure, it remains exposed to missile and drone threats in a widening conflict zone.
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Iraq–Turkiye Pipeline (Kirkuk–Ceyhan)
The Iraq–Turkiye pipeline links Iraqi oil fields to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, providing a route that completely avoids Gulf chokepoints. It has a capacity of 1.6 million bpd, but is currently underutilised, carrying only about 200,000 bpd.
While Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, could theoretically scale up flows, operational, political and security constraints limit immediate expansion.
Can They Replace Hormuz? Not Even Close
The numbers make the answer clear.
Strait of Hormuz flows (2024): ~20 million bpd
Combined pipeline capacity: ~9 million bpd
Experts say that even if fully utilised, these pipelines would cover less than half of the disrupted volumes.
Beyond capacity constraints, vulnerability is a major concern. Unlike mobile tankers, pipelines are fixed targets — and throughout the ongoing conflict, energy infrastructure across the Gulf has already come under attack.
Are There Any Other Workarounds?
In theory, oil can be transported by road,but the economics are prohibitive. A single truck carries 100 to 700 barrels per trip, meaning millions of barrels would require thousands of trucks daily, a logistical and security nightmare in a conflict zone.
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