23/10/2026 02:41 AST
Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports rose nearly 8 per cent in August to their highest level since March, signalling a continued recovery in shipments despite the prolonged disruption to regional energy flows caused by the Middle East conflict.
The recovery in exports came despite a substantial decline in crude production, which fell by 1.9 million bpd to 6.24 million bpd in August from 8.135 million bpd in July, the JODI figures showed.
Exports increased by 326,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 4.451 million bpd, up from 4.125 million bpd in July, according to the latest figures from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI), released on Wednesday.
The increase is significant as the kingdom, the world's largest crude exporter, continues to navigate severe logistical challenges following the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran in late February and the subsequent disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia has been using export terminals on both its Arabian Gulf and Red Sea coasts to maintain shipments amid the regional crisis.
"Despite regional tensions, Saudi Arabia was able to further restore crude export volumes by leveraging terminals on both coasts," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo told Reuters. He indicated that the recovery was likely to have continued into September and October.
The August improvement marked a gradual recovery from May, when Saudi crude exports had declined to approximately 3.4 million bpd, compared with around 7.3 million bpd in February.
However, shipments remained considerably below pre-war levels, highlighting the continuing impact of the conflict on the kingdom's energy sector.
Saudi refinery crude throughput also decreased by 181,000 bpd to 2.297 million bpd, while direct crude burning increased by 43,000 bpd to approximately 604,000 bpd.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose on Thursday as more attacks by the Houthis in Saudi ?Arabia prompted the US to order some diplomats and family members to leave its missions in the Kingdom.
Brent crude futures rose $1.29, or 1.2%, to $110.11 a barrel at 00:34 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude gained 97 cents, or 1%, to $98.12. Brent had settled largely ?unchanged on Wednesday, while WTI had eased 67 cents.
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