Is the UAE building a third pipeline outside the Strait of Hormuz?

Not confirmed. Rigzone reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that the UAE is considering one. No official statement, capacity, cost or schedule was found in the sources reviewed.

When is Adnoc's next bypass route expected?

Argus Media's headline says the new Hormuz bypass is seen ready by the second quarter of 2027, and The National's headline says the expansion becomes operational in 2027. Treat both as reported targets, not commitments.

Why does this desk give no capacity figures?

Capacity numbers circulate in secondary reporting, and none has been reconciled with an Adnoc or OPEC primary release. Where official sources are silent, the desk says so rather than pick a figure.

Does this change the outlook for oil prices?

The sources do not support a price call. A third line is only a reported study, with no stated timing. This is analysis, not trading advice.

UAE Reportedly Weighs a Third Hormuz-Bypass Oil Pipeline

Abu Dhabi is reportedly studying a third export line outside Hormuz. No official detail has surfaced.

The UAE is reportedly considering a third crude export pipeline outside the Strait of Hormuz, but nothing is confirmed. Rigzone cites unnamed people familiar with the matter. Argus and The National both point to Adnoc's next bypass route arriving in 2027, so a third line would extend an existing strategy rather than start one.

The Gulf Barrel Desk November 5, 2026 Updated November 5, 2026 · 2 min read

Rigzone reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that the UAE is considering a third crude export pipeline outside the Strait of Hormuz. No official confirmation has been found.
No route, capacity, cost or schedule for a third line has been disclosed, so it is a reported option, not a project.
Argus Media and The National both headline a new Adnoc bypass route for 2027, which makes the second route the nearer test of the strategy.
This desk does not restate capacity figures because none has been tied to an Adnoc or OPEC primary release.
This is analysis, not trading advice. A reported study does not support a price view.

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly considering a third crude export pipeline that would deliver oil outside the Strait of Hormuz, according to Rigzone, which cites people familiar with the matter (report dated 4 November 2026). No official announcement, capacity figure, cost or date has been found. The report matters because it would deepen a bypass strategy that Adnoc is already pursuing, with a new route that Argus Media and The National both date to 2027.

What is confirmed and what is only reported

Only the existence of a study is reported, and only by one outlet relying on unnamed people. Rigzone's summary says the UAE is considering a third oil-export pipeline that would deliver crude outside the Strait of Hormuz. The desk has not located a filing or statement from Adnoc or the UAE government confirming it, and no route, capacity, cost or schedule has been disclosed. Until one appears, the third line should be read as a reported option, not a project.

The nearer test is the 2027 bypass route

Argus Media's headline says Adnoc's new Hormuz bypass is seen ready by the second quarter of 2027, and The National's headline says the West-East pipeline expansion is to become operational in 2027, doubling oil export capacity. This desk does not restate capacity figures from either article, because they have not been reconciled with an Adnoc or OPEC primary release. Both are timelines reported by outlets, not delivered capacity, and dates could slip.

Reading it as sovereign strategy

A third line, if it exists, would signal that Abu Dhabi treats Hormuz exposure as a standing sovereign risk rather than a cost to absorb. It could also concentrate more flow on bypass routes, so the risk might shift rather than vanish. The evidence is thin: one report, unnamed sources, no figures. This is analysis, not trading advice, and nothing here supports a price view on Brent or any other benchmark.

What to watch next

Three things would turn the report into a fact: a statement from Adnoc or the UAE government naming the project, a stated route and capacity, and a funding or contract announcement. Separately, watch whether the second route meets the 2027 timeline cited by Argus Media and The National, and whether an official capacity figure appears from Adnoc. Until then, the data is silent on size and timing, and the third line stays an unconfirmed option.

Is the UAE building a third pipeline outside the Strait of Hormuz?: Not confirmed. Rigzone reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that the UAE is considering one. No official statement, capacity, cost or schedule was found in the sources reviewed.
When is Adnoc's next bypass route expected?: Argus Media's headline says the new Hormuz bypass is seen ready by the second quarter of 2027, and The National's headline says the expansion becomes operational in 2027. Treat both as reported targets, not commitments.
Why does this desk give no capacity figures?: Capacity numbers circulate in secondary reporting, and none has been reconciled with an Adnoc or OPEC primary release. Where official sources are silent, the desk says so rather than pick a figure.
Does this change the outlook for oil prices?: The sources do not support a price call. A third line is only a reported study, with no stated timing. This is analysis, not trading advice.

UAE Mulls 3rd Crude Oil Pipeline to Avoid Hormuz — Rigzone
Adnoc's new Hormuz bypass seen ready by 2Q 2027 — Argus Media
UAE's West-East pipeline expansion to become operational in 2027, doubling oil export capacity — The National