UAE Oil Exports Reach 3.94 Million Barrels a Day in June as Shipments Recover
Key Facts
The UAE shipped 3.94 million barrels a day of crude and condensates in June, the highest monthly total in the previous twelve months, according to Kpler data cited by The National. The figure put June exports above their average for the previous year, but does not establish that total exports exceeded pre-war levels. The total had fallen to 2.13 million barrels a day in March, a record low, after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz curtailed shipments. The June increase reflected a recovery in export terminals and the restoration of some flows, while shipping routes remained tied to the UAE's ability to bypass the strait. The report was published on July 2 as Abu Dhabi prepared to host the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, ADIPEC 2026, scheduled for November 2 to 5.
Zirku Island, the largest single loading point for ADNOC's offshore crude production, shipped 1.06 million barrels a day in June. That was about 15% above the pre-war average, The National reported, citing Kpler data. Shipments from Das Island returned to 667,000 barrels a day, nearing their usual rate, after falling to 194,000 barrels a day in the first weeks of the war. Das also handles gas processing, making the return of shipments an indicator of activity resuming at another key terminal. Different loading routes helped offset some of the disruption to Gulf terminals during the strait's closure.
The UAE used the Habshan-Fujairah pipeline to transport oil and bypass the Strait of Hormuz. It has a maximum capacity of 1.8 million barrels a day. Fujairah exports have risen 74% above their pre-war average since the war began, according to the report, while no shipments have been recorded from Jebel Dhanna since April. The gap shows that a recovery in the total does not mean every export terminal has returned to the same level of operation: Fujairah supported flows while another terminal remained shut to shipments. Regionally, Gulf oil exports, including volumes that bypassed the strait, rose by 6.5 million barrels a day in June to 16.1 million, according to the International Energy Agency. Even so, the total remained below the pre-war average of 24 million barrels a day.
The increase in shipments comes as the UAE has expanded its production flexibility following its announcement that it would leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries effective May 1, 2026. In June, the UAE reported production of 3.8 million barrels a day to the organization, up 1.71 million barrels a day from May, according to data cited by Investing.com from a Bloomberg report. The International Energy Agency estimated UAE crude production at a record 4.1 million barrels a day in the same month. Those figures differ from the export figure of 3.94 million barrels a day: the former measures production, while the latter measures shipments of crude and condensates. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated the UAE's effective production capacity at 4.2 million barrels a day in 2025, compared with average crude output of 3.4 million barrels a day that year.
ADNOC aims to raise oil production capacity to 5 million barrels a day by 2027, according to S&P Global. The target sets out a stated path for increasing capacity through next year, while converting that capacity into shipments remains dependent on production and export routes. In the broader market, the International Energy Agency said global supply rose by 4.1 million barrels a day to 98.8 million in June, but remained 9.4 million barrels a day below pre-war levels. The agency added that supply could increase by 7.5 million barrels a day in 2027 if transit flows improve. On prices, the agency said North Sea crude fell $31 a barrel during June to $68 at the start of July, then reached $77 when its report was prepared after the ceasefire agreement was breached.