U.S. crude oil rises back above $104 as market awaits updates on Saudi pipeline outage

Crude oil prices rose Tuesday as traders awaited updates on how long Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West pipeline will be closed.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, were up 2.3% to $108.15 per barrel by 10:35 a.m. ET. U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded 2.6% higher, to $104.06. Prices have surged about 20% this month as fighting has sharply escalated in the Persian Gulf.

The Saudis have described the pipeline closure as a“precautionary measure” but haven’t provided a damage assessment or an estimate of how long the outage will last. Riyadh shut down the oil artery after damage last week sustained in a drone attack launched from Iraq.

The Saudis have been redirecting crude oil exports through the pipeline to the Red Sea as the U.S. and Iran battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz. The pipeline can carry 7 million barrels per day.

“The attacks on oil infrastructure mark a meaningful escalation of the conflict and increase the probability of our price upside scenario, where Brent exceeds $120,” said Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby, senior commodity strategist at Goldman Sachs, in a Monday note.

Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, meanwhile, carried out renewed strikes on Saudi Arabia this week. The militants launched drones and ballistic missiles at the cities of Khamis Mushait, Abha and Taif, according to a spokesperson for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen.

The security situation in Hormuz remains volatile with at least two tankers coming under attack since Saturday, according to incident reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre.