Middle East Oil Exports: A Growing Gap Between US Claims and Tracking Data
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright claims that almost nine million barrels per day of oil are leaving the Middle East, but this figure is disputed by companies that track vessel movements. They say it's at best half that volume.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial chokepoint for oil exports to Asia, which has been hit hard by the conflict since February 28. Wright said on social media platform X that thanks to US military and Gulf allies' efforts, the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz was up to almost nine million bpd.
Adding to this, he mentioned an additional five to seven million bpd leaving the region via upgraded pipelines and export facilities. This would take total oil flows to approximately 15 million bpd, which is about 75% of pre-conflict levels.
However, data from commodity analysts Kpler shows that crude exports via the Strait of Hormuz for the week beginning July 27 were only 2.77 million bpd, dropping to 1.74 million bpd for the week starting August 3.