Why cannot Persian Gulf oil exports be easily replaced by transporting oil over land?

Replacing Persian Gulf oil exports with land-based transportation is not logistically viable due to the massive volume of oil moved by sea. The Strait of Hormuz serves as the essential maritime gateway for major producers, handling approximately 25 percent of the world’s maritime oil trade.1

The scale of this operation makes land alternatives impractical. For instance, replacing a single supertanker shipment would require roughly 10,000 trucks, which would consume significantly more fuel than maritime transport. While some pipelines exist—such as those allowing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to divert portions of their exports to the Red Sea or the Gulf of Oman—they can only handle a fraction of total daily output.1

Furthermore, pipelines are subject to complex geopolitical risks and require extensive, long-term planning and negotiations. Historically, land-based infrastructure like the Trans-Arabian Pipeline faced challenges including sabotage, high operating costs, and competition from more efficient supertanker shipping, eventually leading to their closure. Consequently, maritime transport remains the most efficient method for moving the vast quantities of crude oil produced in the region.231