The Strait of Hormuz crisis has exposed the vulnerabilities of the global shipping lanes and maritime chokepoints to geopolitical tensions, making pipelines critical for global energy security.  

Since the beginning of US-Israel military actions against Iran, and a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the world has come to the bitter reality that even historical international waterways are not immune to geopolitical risks.

With nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply historically flowing through this vulnerable chokepoint, the crisis has laid bare the fragility of maritime-dependent energy routes.

It has also elevated overland infrastructure as a cornerstone of energy security, as energy experts and Gulf producers turn to pipelines. Initially regarded as old technology, pipelines have become the focus of renewed urgency as countries look to lower energy costs at home. 

In 2024, the Strait of Hormuz carried an average of about 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and petroleum products, equivalent to roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and a significant share of seaborne oil trade. 

Flows also include substantial liquefied natural gas volumes from Qatar and other producers.

Escalation in early 2026, tied to U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation, effectively disrupted and halted much of this traffic through attacks, threats, and insurance-driven hesitancy.

The resulting supply shocks have driven up oil prices, strained Asian importers like China and India, and prompted emergency draws from strategic reserves worldwide, according to a report published by the World Economic Forum in April 2026. 

Pipelines Have Become Global Energy Lifelines

Following the blockade of the Strait, old pipelines became the only alternative to get energy supplies to the global market. Gulf states have responded to the crisis by maximizing and expanding bypass pipelines that route oil to ports on the Red Sea or Gulf of Oman, avoiding the strait entirely.

These routes, though limited in capacity compared to tanker traffic, have become vital arteries.

Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline (also known as Petroline), stretching about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, has operated at or near its full capacity of around 7 million barrels per day amid the crisis. This infrastructure has allowed the kingdom to sustain significant exports despite Strait disruptions. 

However, it has not been immune to risk: Iranian strikes in early April damaged pumping stations and related facilities, temporarily cutting flows. This underscores the fact that pipelines, too, face security threats from drones and missiles.

The United Arab Emirates has similarly relied on the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP or Habshan-Fujairah), which carries up to 1.8 million barrels per day to the Fujairah terminal on the Gulf of Oman.

Additionally, Abu Dhabi is fast-tracking a second pipeline along this corridor to nearly double export capacity, with ambitions for multi-fuel lines handling refined products as well.

“I’m sensing a shift from hypotheticals into operational reality,” Maisoon Kafafy, a senior adviser at the Atlantic Council, told the Financial Times, as reported by Pipeline Technology Journal. “Everyone is looking at the same map, and they are drawing the same conclusions.”

Other initiatives include Iraqi projects linking southern fields to western or northern export points and broader regional visions such as corridors within the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor framework. Analysts note these efforts could cost billions but offer long-term resilience.

Limitations, Vulnerabilities and Broader Implications

While pipelines have increasingly become a viable alternative for bypassing maritime chokepoints, experts caution that they cannot fully replace Strait capacity in the near term.

For instance, available bypass infrastructure from Saudi Arabia and the UAE is estimated at 3.5 to 5.5 million barrels per day of spare or reroutable volume—far short of the 20 million barrels per day that typically transited the Strait of Hormuz.

As such, prolonged disruptions could still force production cuts once storage fills. 

The crisis has accelerated diversification efforts, with calls for expanded storage, diversified suppliers, and investment in non-Gulf energy sources.

For importers in Asia and Europe, it has reinforced the need for strategic reserves and alternative supply chains, including transcontinental pipelines delivering energy supplies from Africa.

As Gulf states pour resources into pipeline expansions, the events in the Strait of Hormuz serve as a stark reminder: in an era of geopolitical volatility, diversified and hardened infrastructure is not optional but essential for stabilizing global energy flows.

Whether these efforts can sufficiently buffer future shocks remains an open question as diplomats work toward de-escalation and secure passage. For now, pipelines have emerged as one of the world’s most strategic assets in enhancing energy security.