“Six months ago, exporting hydrocarbons from the Arabian-Persian Gulf followed straightforward rules: take the most direct route – the Strait of Hormuz – to quickly reach Asia, the world's most energy-hungry region. But the war in Iran, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, upended these priorities by paralyzing this narrow maritime passage.

For the oil powers in the region, the urgent priority is now to diversify the routes for exporting crude oil, or 'black gold,' as it is known. That way, they hope to free themselves from Tehran's blackmail over the strategic chokepoint through which, before the conflict, 20 million barrels passed each day. Between late July and late August, ships – often escorted by the US Navy – still managed to move between two and seven million barrels a day out of the Persian Gulf, according to various estimates. But the vessels that dared to venture out traveled with their transponders switched off, under threat of attacks by Iranian drones or missiles.

In the search for alternative routes, palace intrigue and theoretical debates have given way to action: plans for a post-Strait of Hormuz era have started to take shape. This is especially true in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which already has a bypass route with the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline. Work is progressing rapidly to double this pipeline, which stretches nearly 400 kilometers from the oil fields of Habshan in the northwest to the port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman. The goal is to double its current capacity, reaching nearly 3.6 million barrels per day – almost the entirety of the UAE's oil production. The aim is to achieve this by 2027.”

From Le Monde.