Saudi Arabia’s $5 Oil Detour Is Expensive—and Worth It

The latest Saudi oil route looks absurd on a map. Crude moves west across Saudi Arabia to Yanbu, north through the Red Sea to Egypt, across the SUMED pipeline from Ain Sokhna to Sidi Kerir, then west through the Mediterranean before tankers sail around the Cape of Good Hope to reach customers in Asia. Oil that started relatively close to Asia first travels thousands of kilometres in the opposite direction. The detour reportedly adds around $5 per barrel once extra freight, fuel, insurance and pipeline charges are included. For a two-million-barrel…