UAE Advances Second Oil Pipeline to Bypass Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates is accelerating construction of a second pipeline designed to carry oil exports around the Strait of Hormuz. The CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, said nearly 50 percent of the pipeline is now complete. The line will double ADNOC's export capacity through the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman.

The pipeline is expected to become operational in 2027.

Al Jaber stated that even if current tensions ended immediately, restoring oil flows to 80 percent of normal levels would require at least four months. Full normalization of flows is projected for the first or second quarter of 2027. Al Jaber said the project has been sped up because of ongoing tensions with Iran.

He noted that too much of the world's energy still moves through too few chokepoints and that accepting restrictions on such routes sets a dangerous precedent.