Middle East Oil Exports Rebound Sharply in September as Saudi Shipments Surge

Middle East crude exports staged a major recovery in September, driven by surging Saudi Arabian shipments and adaptation to regional maritime risks. Analysts and tracking firms reported diverging figures: JPMorgan estimated regional flows averaged 17.5 million barrels per day, while Goldman Sachs estimated Persian Gulf outflows hit 23.3 million barrels per day including dark tanker traffic. Tracking data from Kpler previously showed flows rebounding between 12.8 million and 16.328 million bpd. Saudi Arabia boosted exports sharply from 2.446 million bpd in August to between 5.4 million and 6.9 million bpd as the East-West pipeline reopened.