Saudi Arabia has sold as many as 20 million barrels of crude in the spot market this week for pickup outside the Strait of Hormuz, after shutting the East-West pipeline following drone attacks launched from Iraq near the Iranian border. Chinese refiners, including state-owned and independent companies, and processors elsewhere in East Asia are the main buyers. The cargoes are scheduled for loading this month and next through ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman, allowing tankers to avoid entering the Persian Gulf through Hormuz. The 750-mile pipeline had redirected most Saudi crude exports from Persian Gulf ports to Yanbu on the Red Sea after the Middle East conflict began and Hormuz was closed to shipping. Aramco has reportedly canceled or delayed some September deliveries to European refiners. The United Arab Emirates has developed similar ship-to-ship logistics in recent months, with ADNOC offering prompt supplies through tenders in the Persian Gulf and the Fujairah-Sohar range outside Hormuz.