Technology and Science10 August, 20262 min read
Chris Wright Claims Normalized Strait of Hormuz Oil Flows as CNN Cites Vessel Shortfall
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Energy Secretary Chris Wright claims Hormuz oil flows exceeded pre-war levels and remained near normal. Independent shipping data contradict Wright, showing no consistent normalization of Hormuz flows.
Hormuz numbers disputed
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Tuesday that oil exports from the Middle East rose above pre-war levels on Sunday and that the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is “up to almost 9 million barrels per day.”
“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S. military and our gulf allies, the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently up to almost 9 million barrels per day.”
Wright also said that, when combined with “the additional 5-7 million barrels per day leaving the region via newly upgraded pipelines and export facilities,” total oil flows are “averaging approximately 15 million barrels per day.”
CNN reported that observable shipping traffic does not match Wright’s claim, saying “Just 84 total vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz last week — including only nine on Sunday.”
CNN added that JPMorgan estimated “the number is closer to 4 million barrels per day,” while Kpler data cited by CNN showed only nine vessels on Sunday and 84 transits last week.
Analysts challenge the claim
Matt Smith, director of commodity research at Kpler, told CNN, “It is not possible to reconcile the disparity between what we see and what he is quoting.” CNN said the Department of Energy did not respond to a request for comment on Wright’s figures, while also noting that Wright’s claim that 5 to 7 million barrels per day are bypassing the Strait of Hormuz via pipelines appears to be accurate.
CNN cited Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline rerouting “upward of 5 million barrels of oil per day to the Red Sea,” and said Middle Eastern countries have maxed out their pipeline capacity to reroute as much oil as possible around the strait. Dan Pickering, founder and chief investment officer at Pickering Energy Partners, said, “In theory, the US government with all its technology and all the military assets they have in the region should have the best number on the flow through the strait,” and added that “this is hard to verify.”
Market volatility and stakes
Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz has been tied to demands directed at the White House, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei saying, “It is up to the United States to halt and remedy its illegal and destructive actions.” Diario Río Negro reported that Iran decided to freeze the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and that the paralysis of the maritime route boosted Brent crude to around US$85 per barrel, with a daily increase of almost 2%.
“It is up to the United States to halt and remedy its illegal and destructive actions.”
In parallel, ecotvpanama said oil prices jumped 5% on Monday, with North Sea Brent rising 4.99% to $87.72 a barrel, as market concern focused on divergent U.S. and Iran conditions to unlock the strait. Canal26 linked the Hormuz closure to broader conflict-driven economic repercussions, stating that the Strait of Hormuz is “a key maritime route for international energy trade, through which about 20% of the world’s oil flows,” while also reporting that U.S. stockpiles fell last week to 298.7 million barrels, the lowest level in more than 40 years.