Persian Gulf states explore pipeline projects to bypass Strait of Hormuz

Persian Gulf oil producers are discussing new pipeline projects that would allow crude exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz if disruptions to shipping persist, according to comments from a senior Kuwaiti oil executive reported by the Financial Times.

Sheikh Khaled Ahmad Al-Sabah, managing director of international marketing at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, said Kuwait was in talks with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates about potential pipeline routes that could connect Persian Gulf oil production to export terminals outside the strategic waterway.

The report said Kuwait is also discussing potential oil storage facilities in Oman on the other side of the strait. Saudi Arabia and the UAE already operate pipelines that allow some oil exports to bypass Hormuz, but new projects would be needed to accommodate other producers.