WTI Tops $100 as Saudi Pipeline Attacks Threaten Supply

Crude benchmarks surged after confirmed drone strikes hit multiple pumping stations along Saudi Arabia's critical East-West pipeline, a corridor that bypasses the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Satellite data from NASA FIRMS and Sentinel imagery detected large fires near the pipeline corridor before officials confirmed the attack.

With Middle Eastern crude spiking toward $120 and Brent near $105, WTI has been dragged firmly above the $100 mark. The exposed volume is significant: 3-4 million barrels per day of Saudi export capacity now sits in jeopardy, a scale of disruption that dwarfs typical supply-side shocks WTI traders have priced in this year.

A weekend meeting of Gulf foreign ministers has offered some cooling to the rally, but traders remain wary of further escalation. Until pipeline integrity is confirmed and repaired, WTI is likely to hold an elevated risk premium.