Repairs to a key Saudi oil pipeline damaged in an attack last week could take three to five weeks, according to two regional officials briefed on the matter.
The East-West Pipeline was shut down on Thursday after the attack, which Saudi Arabia blamed on drones launched by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq.
The officials told The Associated Press that repairing the damage, including at a major pumping facility, could take between three and five weeks.
One official said the pipeline could continue operating partially while repair teams work to restore the damaged sections.
The 1,200-kilometer pipeline can transport up to 7 million barrels of oil per day, carrying Saudi crude from Gulf ports to the kingdom's Red Sea coast.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Saudi oil giant Aramco, which operates the pipeline, did not immediately comment on the expected repair timeline.
The Saudi government-run Center for International Communication said it was looking into an AP inquiry about how long the repairs would take.
