Saudi crude output rises 12.2% to 8 million barrels per day in September

Saudi Arabia’s crude oil output climbed 12.2% in September from the previous month, reaching 8 million barrels per day, according to data from Al Rajhi Capital Research cited by TradeArabia. The increase follows a period of reduced production in the spring and early summer when Gulf producers limited output due to constraints on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The Kingdom has compensated by expanding ship-to-ship (STS) transfers outside the strait and routing most exports through the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Although the East-West oil pipeline and Yanbu loadings were halted for two weeks in September after attacks on the pipeline on September 10, Saudi producers shifted to shuttle-shipping crude through Hormuz, transferring cargoes that had passed the strait onto other vessels in the Gulf of Oman.

Brent crude settled at $103.5 per barrel at the end of September, and the higher production level boosted Saudi oil revenues. Non-oil economic indicators also showed signs of improvement: consumer spending rose 6.4% in August year-on-year, and the Purchasing Managers’ Index recorded its strongest September reading since February.

Nevertheless, the broader economic picture remains mixed. Merchandise exports fell 11.5% in August 2026 compared with the same month in 2025, with oil exports down 12.5%, according to the General Authority for Statistics. In the second quarter of 2026, real GDP contracted 4.7% year-over-year, driven by a 24.8% decline in oil-related activity, while government and non-oil sectors each grew 0.9%.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com