Middle East crude exports top prewar average on four days

Middle Eastern crude exports briefly exceeded their prewar average on four days in the final week of September, even as attacks on ships continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Provisional Kpler data put exports at 19.5 million to 22.5 million barrels per day on September 24 and September 27 through 29, compared with a prewar average of about 18 million barrels per day from March 2025 through February 2026. The seven-day moving average for regional crude exports reached 18.5 million barrels per day on October 1, according to the data. That regional measure includes oil moving through Hormuz, the Red Sea and other terminals, as well as ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman. It does not establish that crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz alone had returned to prewar levels. Kpler’s figures are provisional and exclude vessels that crossed with their Automatic Identification System transponders switched off, meaning the full volume of shipments is uncertain. Separately, crude oil, refined products, chemicals and other non-gas liquids combined averaged 22.4 million barrels per day in the seven days through September 30.