Brent crude held near its recent highs even after Saudi Arabia resumed oil exports through the East-West pipeline, according to a report from NDTV Profit.

The pipeline, which carries crude from Saudi fields in the east of the kingdom to Red Sea terminals on the west coast, had halted flows earlier. Its return to service restores an export route that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint that handles roughly a fifth of globally traded oil.

Traders had expected the restart to ease supply concerns. Instead, the Brent benchmark stayed elevated, suggesting the market remains focused on broader supply and risk factors rather than the restoration of a single export corridor.

For refiners tracking crude procurement, the practical effect of the resumption is the return of Red Sea loading flexibility for Saudi barrels, giving Aramco's customers an alternative to Gulf-bound shipments through Hormuz.

The watch item remains the Brent price itself: whether the benchmark gives ground as pipeline volumes normalize, or holds its premium if risk premia elsewhere in the market continue to support prices.