Persian Gulf Oil Exports Climb to 81 Percent of Pre-War Levels

Crude oil exports from the Persian Gulf have rebounded to 81% of pre-war levels, according to recent data from Kpler and Vortexa. The figures exclude Iranian oil exports, which have plummeted to zero. Saudi Arabia led the recovery, increasing its daily exports from 4.2 million barrels in August to 6.6 million barrels in September. This surge offset declines from other Gulf producers, helping the region's total exports of crude, condensates, and liquefied petroleum gas reach an average of 19.2 million barrels daily last month.

The pre-war average was 23.6 million barrels daily, so while there has been improvement, exports remain below historical levels. Kpler's data showed that crude oil exports averaged 18.6 million barrels daily in September, with some days even exceeding pre-war levels. Between September 27 and 29, daily flows ranged from 19.5 million to 22.5 million barrels.

However, fuel exports have not recovered as strongly. While crude flows are back at 91% of pre-war levels, fuel exports remain at just 60% of previous averages. Vortexa analyst Claire Jungman expressed caution, noting that daily flows are more volatile than before the war and questioning whether recent levels can be sustained.