Key facts
- Persian Gulf crude oil exports averaged 18.6 million barrels daily in September, per Kpler.
- Vortexa data shows crude oil exports from the Persian Gulf averaged 19.2 million barrels daily in September.
- Saudi Arabia's oil exports increased to 6.6 million barrels daily in September from 4.2 million barrels daily in August.
- Fuel export flows remain at 60% of pre-war levels, according to Vortexa.
- Iranian oil exports have dropped to zero, according to Kpler and Vortexa.
Crude oil exports from the Persian Gulf recovered to 81% of pre-war levels in September, driven by a significant increase in Saudi Arabian shipments, according to data from analytics firms Kpler and Vortexa. Saudi exports rose from 4.2 million barrels daily in August to approximately 6.6 million barrels daily in September, more than compensating for declines in other Gulf producers.
Overall crude oil, condensate, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) exports from the region averaged 19.2 million barrels daily in September, based on Vortexa data. This figure, while still below the pre-war average of 23.6 million barrels daily, represents an improvement from previous months. Kpler data indicated an average of 18.6 million barrels daily for crude oil exports from the Persian Gulf in September. On some days between September 27 and September 29, Kpler reported that crude oil flows out of the Persian Gulf even exceeded pre-war levels, reaching between 19.5 million and 22.5 million barrels daily.
However, Vortexa cautioned that fuel export flows remain at just 60% of their pre-war average of 7.3 million barrels daily. The sustainability of these September flow rates is also uncertain, as daily flows have become considerably more volatile since the war began, according to Vortexa analyst Claire Jungman.