Persian Gulf Crude Exports Top 14M Bpd as Hormuz Oil Flows Rebound

TLDR:

• Persian Gulf crude exports topped 14M bpd, rebounding over 210% from the roughly 4.5M bpd March low.
• Hormuz crude flows reached a 13.5M bpd seven-day average in late September, matching pre-war levels.
• Middle East crude shipments averaged 19.5M bpd, beating the roughly 17M bpd pre-war benchmark by 2.5M bpd.
• Refined fuel exports remain at just 50%-58% of 2025 levels despite a sharp rebound in regional crude flows.

Persian Gulf crude exports have moved above 14 million barrels per day, marking the strongest flow since the war began on February 28. The recovery shows tanker traffic around Hormuz is rebuilding after March disruptions pushed regional exports to roughly 4.5 million bpd.

Bloomberg data shared by The Kobeissi Letter show shipments from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar rising more than 210% from that low. The four-week average has also approached 14 million bpd, its highest level in six months and about 80% of pre-war volumes.

Kpler data point to a recovery. Crude moving through Hormuz reached a seven-day average of 13.5 million bpd in late September, matching its pre-war baseline. Across the wider Middle East, including Red Sea routes, shipments averaged 19.5 million bpd, above the earlier benchmark near 17 million bpd.

Security Corridor Helps Restore Hormuz Traffic

The rebound followed months of work to reopen shipping lanes and reduce dependence on direct crossings through the strait. Axios reported in August that the U.S. military established a southern corridor along Oman’s coast.

That route allowed 15 to 20 tankers to enter and leave Hormuz each night. U.S. Central Command later said oil and LNG shipments had reached a six-month high. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper also said the strait’s main transit lanes had been cleared of mines.

Meanwhile, producers expanded alternative routes to keep crude moving. Saudi Arabia resumed shipments through its East-West pipeline toward Yanbu. Some cargoes also moved through ship-to-ship transfers near Sohar in Oman and Fujairah in the UAE.

The scale remains important as Hormuz is the world’s largest oil chokepoint. U.S. Energy Information Administration data show 20.9 million bpd crossed it during 2025’s first half. That total included 14.7 million bpd of crude and condensate.

Refined Fuel Exports Stay at 50%-58% of 2025 Levels

Crude availability has recovered faster than refined fuels. Middle East diesel, gasoline and jet-fuel exports remain around 50% to 58% of 2025 levels. Refinery damage and transport disruptions continue limiting product supplies even as Persian Gulf crude cargoes move freely.

That gap has kept fuel markets under pressure. U.S. diesel prices have reached record levels, while Russian refinery disruptions and China’s suspension of October fuel exports have tightened global product supply further.

Brent settled at $102.25 a barrel on October 2, while WTI closed at $91.11. The latest figures show Hormuz is carrying oil volumes again. However, the recovery remains uneven. Crude flows have returned close to earlier levels, while refined-fuel exports still reflect refinery damage, logistical bottlenecks and shipping risks.

The post Persian Gulf Crude Exports Top 14M Bpd as Hormuz Oil Flows Rebound appeared first on Blockonomi.