New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- Crude oil prices resumed their upward move in Tuesday's session, with Brent crude futures surging $3.7 per barrel to $109.39 as traders assessed the potential impact on global crude supplies after Saudi Arabia closed a critical pipeline that bypasses the Strait of Hormuz last week.

Drones launched from Iraq damaged the East-West Pipeline on Thursday, forcing the Saudi government to shut the key crude oil artery. The pipeline is expected to remain largely out of service for weeks as repairs are carried out, The Associated Press reported, citing two regional officials.

The pipeline provides Saudi Arabia with an alternative route to transport oil exports to the Red Sea, allowing it to bypass the Persian Gulf and the ...