Previous Year Question
Consider the following statements.
Statement I: Sumed pipeline is a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to Europe.
Statement II: Sumed pipeline connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Both Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement I
Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, but Statement II does not explain Statement I
Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect
Statement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
SUMED stands for the Suez–Mediterranean Pipeline. It is an important energy-transport infrastructure located in Egypt.
Statement I is correct
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the Suez Canal, SUMED pipeline and Bab el-Mandeb Strait are strategic routes for Persian Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to Europe and North America.
This corridor is strategically important because:
Shipping from the Persian Gulf reaches the Red Sea through the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.
The Suez Canal and SUMED system provide access from the Red Sea towards the Mediterranean.
Ships bound for Europe can avoid the much longer journey around the Cape of Good Hope.
This reduces travelling time, fuel costs and transportation risks.
It is therefore a strategic energy route.
Statement II is correct
In Egypt, the SUMED pipeline:
Begins at the Ain Sukhna terminal near the northern end of the Red Sea.
Crosses Egyptian territory.
Terminates at the Sidi Kerir terminal, near Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast.
It consequently provides a land-based connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Why does Statement II explain Statement I?
Oil arriving from the Persian Gulf must move from the Red Sea towards the Mediterranean to reach European markets. The SUMED pipeline connects these two maritime regions. This geographical connection is precisely what gives the route its strategic importance.
Statement II is therefore not merely an independent fact; it explains why SUMED is strategically important for Europe-bound energy trade.
How does the pipeline operate?
Large tankers arriving from the Persian Gulf discharge crude oil at Ain Sukhna.
The crude oil is pumped northward across Egypt.
At Sidi Kerir, the oil can be reloaded onto tankers for onward transportation to Europe.
It is especially useful for fully loaded tankers that cannot conveniently navigate the Suez Canal because of their size or deep draft.
According to the EIA, SUMED transports crude oil northward and has a capacity of approximately 2.5 million barrels per day. An earlier EIA description placed its length at about 200 miles or 320 kilometres and described two parallel pipelines with a combined maximum capacity of approximately 2.8 million barrels per day.
Important clarification concerning natural gas
The SUMED pipeline itself primarily carries crude oil.
LNG, or liquefied natural gas, is transported by ships mainly through the Suez Canal.
The question uses “strategic route” in the broader sense of the integrated Suez–SUMED–Red Sea energy corridor.
It should therefore not be memorised that natural gas physically flows through the SUMED crude-oil pipeline.
Official answer key accepted both statements as correct and treated Statement II as the explanation of Statement I.