Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline shutdown is squeezing crude oil supply for Asia’s biggest importers, with South Korea most exposed.

Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, a major route for moving crude oil out of the country, has been shut down after coming under attack.

This has created a ripple effect across Asia’s largest oil importing nations, with several countries now facing tighter access to Saudi crude. South Korea appears to be the most exposed among them.

According to the Korea International Trade Association, Saudi crude made up 34.1% of the country’s total crude imports in July. Japan is not far behind at 27.3%, based on government data, while China’s exposure stands at 14.9%.

India’s share is comparatively lower, at around 10.2%, according to data from Kpler. Here is why this matters.

Even before the pipeline shutdown, ongoing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz had already pushed a large share of Saudi Arabia’s exports toward the Red Sea port of Yanbu, which connects directly to this now closed pipeline.

Experts estimate that around 4 million barrels per day of Asia bound crude supply could be at risk because of this disruption.

If the pipeline stays shut for a month, and stored crude at Yanbu also gets used up, the oil market could lose close to 120 million barrels of supply, according to estimates from commodity research firm Kpler.

For now, though, analysts believe the immediate impact will show up more in oil prices and shipping costs, rather than an outright shortage of crude on the ground.

Stored crude at Yanbu and in Egypt could keep some exports flowing for roughly one to two weeks.

But if the pipeline remains closed beyond that, refiners may need to turn to alternative sources such as the Americas or West Africa, shipments that can take over a month to reach Asian shores.

Saudi Arabia has not given a clear timeline for repairs, though reports suggest the process could take anywhere between three to six weeks.

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