Wright's Oil Flow Claims Challenged by Ship-Tracking Data

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright claimed that oil flows from the Middle East have normalized, citing Sunday traffic as an example. He stated on social media that the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz had reached nearly 9 million barrels per day, with total oil flows averaging around 15 million barrels per day.

However, this assertion is disputed by ship-tracking data and analysts, who point out that traffic at the Strait of Hormuz remains severely constrained. According to Matt Smith, director of commodity research at Kpler, vessel traffic continues to decline, with only six commodity vessels transiting on Monday, down from an average of 11 ships in the previous 10-day period.