Saudi Crude Oil Exports Surge in September Despite Regional Attacks
Saudi Arabia's crude exports surged to 6 million barrels per day in September despite regional attacks and pipeline damage, returning to 2025 monthly averages.
Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports surged this month despite attacks by the Houthis and Iran-backed militias, according to CNBC, citing trade intelligence firm Kpler data. Riyadh is exporting 6 million barrels per day in September, the highest level since the war with Iran began about seven months ago, reaching the monthly average level of 2025.
Saudi Arabia successfully increased oil exports even though it closed the East-West pipeline this month after a drone launched from Iraq caused damage, with September shipments surging by nearly 80% compared to August. The East-West pipeline had served as a vital backup for the oil market during the war with Iran, allowing the Saudis to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran closed by rerouting exports from eastern production fields to the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea.
The price of a barrel of Brent crude spiked to nearly $110 following the pipeline closure, but prices have since retreated as investor confidence grew that disruptions were less severe than initially thought. Saudi Arabia rerouted crude oil exports back through the Strait of Hormuz after the US military opened a shipping route along the coast of Oman, though the journey remains perilous as Iran continues to attack tankers.
According to Kpler data, oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz reached a weekly average of 13.2 million barrels per day on Wednesday, compared to about 17 million barrels per day before the war with Iran. Meanwhile, industry sources told Reuters that the East-West pipeline resumed operations at low volumes earlier this week, and flow rates are now increasing, although Saudi Arabia has not publicly confirmed its reactivation.
