Sunday, July 15, 2012

UAE Starts Up Pipeline to Bypass Strait of Hormuz

The United Arab Emirates today inaugurated an overland oil pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The 380-kilometer (236-mile) Abu Dhabi Crude Oil (ADCO) Pipeline links the country’s oilfields in Abu Dhabi across western desert and over Hajar Mountains to the port city of Fujairah on the UAE’s Indian Ocean coast, south of the Strait of Hormuz.

The ADCO pipeline is designed to carry up to 1.8 million barrels a day of crude, allowing the Emiratis to ship as much as two-thirds of its peak production through Fujairah. The pipeline gives the country an insurance against any possible blockage of the strait. (AP, 15 July)

20 comments:

Mark Pyruz said...

Unfortunately, all this represents is an additional target during an outbreak of war. And every time it gets hit, there will be an accompanying spike in the price of Brent crude.

Anonymous said...

Easily targeted with ballistic missiles.

Anonymous said...

This solution is just as vulnerable as any current set-up. There are no true viable 100% safe alternatives for the Arabs. With the Iranians schooled in the full usage of ballistic missiles, we will most likely see this new construction in flames if war breaks out.

There is a reason why ballistic missile capability is so sought after and more importantly it is no coincidence that those countries wich is at the greatest risk of getting dragged into large conventional conflicts are the ones to possess such potent weapons.

Anonymous said...

Children listen to this.If the Islamic regime is stupid enough to launch their ballistic missiles or any other weapons on those oil installations or pipelines they will receive them back with interest.
So don't be so naive thinking the traffic will flow one way because it won't!
Now grow up children!

TLAM Strike said...

If you think a six foot wide pipe is easily targetable with ballistic missiles you do not know much about them.

It would take hundreds to sever a pipeline, given that the CEP of Iranian missiles is on the order of a mile. That's hundreds away from military targets in the region.

Anonymous said...

I wonder where Hans is? Who claimed by July the first the worthless Iranian rial will replace the US dollar. LOL!

Anonymous said...

This action is in response to the dispute about the Islands UAE and Iran claim to own.


Z

Anonymous said...

1:39

You are obviously not prudent enough to realize that the ballistic missiles will destroy the key transit point for transporting oil & gas, the newly built terminal with all its storage facilities.

Anonymous said...

It's not the pipes that can be targeted. I f you look at the map and port of Fujairah where the pipes go to, you can clearly see Iran has a list of options available with one being not even attacking anything in the UAE but attacking a Tanker outside the UAE going/coming to the port will have the same effect, namely increasing the oil prices!

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:06 PM

And you listen to this. If the West is stupid enough to launch attacks on Iran, they will receive them back with interest.

That goes both ways.

TLAM Strike said...

Yea I can see the port of Fujairah. The tank farm at the oil terminal is 500 meters wide West to East. An Iranian missile like the Shahab 4 has a CEP from 1,000m to 3,000m meaning the best case is a 1/2 chance of hitting something in the port of Fujairah, worse 1/6 chance.

BTW the civilian population of Fujairah is 1,000 meters from the southern edge of the port. Within the possible impact zone of an Iranian ballistic missile.

Re: Attacking a tanker. Fujairah is different that the Straits. The port is 150 miles from the Iranian coast. That's a long way to travel in a Boston Whaler. Those waters are also shallow enough to plant fixed acoustic sensors in to track intruding submarines. There is also a big EW warning site to the south west of Fujairah to warn of air attacks.

Anonymous said...

Anon 4:20 PM

You see you're acting like a child by copying what I said.
The US will make sure that the Islamic regime will receive all the interest it is due to it and more.
Accept reality and don't be such a sad loser.

Anonymous said...

the Zelzal 3 + B variant has a CEP of ~1000m, not 3000. A 50% chance is really good, and its probable that more than 1 missile will be launched, especially when it is armed with cluster warhead which makes the bomblets spread and hit a much larger area. And the distance that the missile would have to travel is relatively short.

Anonymous said...

And you listen to this. If the West is stupid enough to launch attacks on Iran, they will receive them back with interest.

That goes both ways.
July 16, 2012 4:20 PM
-------


it really doesn't go both ways, dear heart.

Iran can attack a number of targets.

while the West can destroy all of Iran, either all at once or carefully, bit by bit,

mat said...

Keep on 'barking'...

Anonymous said...

Ha Ha Ha!!
mat,you just keep living your fantasy!

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:55 PM

The US will make sure that the Islamic regime will receive all the interest it is due to it and more.

And Iran will make sure that the US will pay a heavy price if they dare attempt to do so.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:04 AM

mat is right. The West has been barking for the last 33 years.

Guess who is living his fantasy?

Hint: take a good look in the mirror.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:25 PM

I've got no problem at looking at the mirror every day pal.
You look around yourself and see Assad collapsing.Egypt under the new President going to Saudi Arabia and not permitting visas for Iranians.
Price of oil going down and price of chicken and meat going up from $2 to $5 a kilo and many food stuffs doubled heading upwards .

Looks like you should be peeking at the mirror and asking yourself who is living in fantasy and acting like a big baby.

Anonymous said...

Anon 8:06 PM

And that would be the very last thing that stupid regime would ever live to do.